International Forum for Justice Human Rights (IFJHR) J&K Chairman Muhammad Ahsan Untoo paid glowing tribute to Handwara Massacre.
In a statement issued by IFJHR here on Sunday, he said that Indian government has no answer to our queries as to what led to this massacre.
He stated that State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) disposed off case citing absence of victim families, lack of cooperation by BSF unit involved in crime.
While briefing the incident, Unto said that on January 25, 1990, 34 people fell to bullets of the paramilitary BSF men in the Handwara area of Kupwara district.
“This massacre took place four days after Gaw Kadal massacre in Srinagar where 52 unarmed civilians were shot dead by the paramilitary CRPF men”, Unto added.
The Handwara blood bath was carried out when around 10,000 people were heading towards Handwara Chowk to protest against the Gawkadal massacre.
He explained that an FIR vide NO- 10/1990 stands registered at Police station Handwara under sections 307, 151, 53, 427, 336, 449, 448, 436, 435–A. Police have cited that all the accused BSF men are untraceable.
“Till this date the government has no answer to our queries as to what led to this massacre. Killed persons were not militants but civilians who were protesting peacefully,” Muhammad Ahsan Untoo said.
Ahsan has been pursuing the case before the SHRC since past many years.
Untoo said that Handwara was one of the worst massacres in the history of Kashmir as people still remember the bloodbath as if the incident happened today, “34 identified protesters were killed in cold blood, and 175 were injured.”
On 21 November 2018 International Forum for Justice Human Rights JK chairman Muhammad Ahsan Untoo filed a writ petition pil/214/2018 dated 21/11/2018 before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court,24 November 2018 the Honreable Justice Tashi issued notice to concerned officers but still the accused are untraceable.
IFJHR demanded international human rights organizations to take stern notice on Human rights violations in IOK.
