Remembering the victims of Chattisinghpora massacre on their 17th anniversary, senior Hurriyat leader and Jammu Kashmir National Front chairman, Nayeem Ahmad Khan Tuesday demanded an impartial probe into the killings of 36 innocent Sikhs in March 2000.He said that Kashmir has become a land of tragedies only because of the illegitimate occupation of Indian army. “Chattisinghpora and Pathribal like tragedies are an eye-opener for international community to imagine the situation of Kashmir which has witnessed countless massacres over the years.” Nayeem Khan paid rich tributes to the people killed in Chattisingpora and Pathribal seventeen years before and said that victims of the said massacres are waiting for the international community to act humanly. Pertinently, the innocent Sikhs were killed men wearing Indian army uniform in Chattisinghpora area of Islamabad district when the then US President, Bill Clinton was in India.
Occupational forces killed five more innocent persons in Pathribal area of the same district after some days claiming that they were foreign militants involved in Chattisinghpora massacre. However, later investigations revealed that the deceased persons were ordinary civilians who were killed by the Indian army personnel in a fake encounter. Later though the Indian investigating agency CBI held Indian forces responsible for the Pathribal killings however, the culprits continue to roam free.Nayeem Khan said that Kashmiris are being killed, massacred, humiliated and tortured so that are compelled to surrender their political rights. The Indian political leadership is adamant to break the will of the people of Kashmir by hook or by crook. He said that international community should take notice of the human rights violations committed by the occupational forces in Kashmir.Nayeem Ahmad Khan said that the tragic incidents like Chattisinghpora happened since last three decades have broken the hearts of Kashmiri people however, they have not given up their demand of freedom. Nayeem Khan also paid homage to all the martyrs of Kashmir including Brakepora, killed by the occupational forces and their collaborators. He demanded investigation of all the massacres by any impartial international agency as Indian agencies were puppets of their governments and were not trustworthy. (CNS)