Senior Turkish lawmaker calls on India to 'immediately' end rights violations in Kashmir

Published September 17, 2019
Head of Turkish parliament's Human Rights Commission Hakan Cavusoglu. — AA/File
Head of Turkish parliament's Human Rights Commission Hakan Cavusoglu. — AA/File

A senior Turkish lawmaker on Tuesday called on the Indian government to end the worsening human rights violations in occupied Kashmir "as immediately as possible".

"Human right violations have shown a massive increase in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019," Hakan Cavusoglu, the head of parliament's Human Rights Commission, said in a statement.

Cavusoglu mentioned how thousands of troops were deployed to the region in early August before India made the sudden, unprecedented move of revoking the region’s special status.

Indian-occupied Kashmir has been facing a communications blackout since Aug 5, when New Delhi stripped the disputed region of special provisions guaranteed by the Indian constitution.

"I call on the Indian government to end the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir as immediately as possible," the lawmaker said.

Cavusoglu said the recent incidents in the region "turned Kashmir into one of the most sensitive regions in the world".

From 1954 until Aug 5, 2019, Kashmir enjoyed a special status under the Indian constitution which allowed it to enact its own laws. The provisions also protected the region's citizenship law, which barred outsiders from settling in and owning land in the territory.

After New Delhi's move of scrapping Kashmir's special autonomy, it has been under a near-complete lockdown.

Several rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly called on India to lift restrictions and release political detainees.

Indian authorities claim that daytime restrictions have been lifted in 90 per cent of the region.

Opinion

Strategic confusion

Strategic confusion

There is a perception that, more than a backlash from the masses over unpopular decisions, the establishment is apprehensive of the historical factor.

Editorial

March to war?
Updated 22 Feb, 2026

March to war?

With his huge build-up of forces around Iran, and frequent threats targeted at the Islamic Republic, the US president has created a very difficult situation for himself.
Paper proscriptions
22 Feb, 2026

Paper proscriptions

THE Punjab government’s decision to publicly list 89 banned and unregistered groups, and to warn citizens against...
Cricket politics again
Updated 22 Feb, 2026

Cricket politics again

Pakistan refused to play India at the ongoing T20 World Cup and only changed its mind in view of the game’s greater good. It is time for India to reciprocate.
BoP meets
Updated 21 Feb, 2026

BoP meets

Trump told the meeting that “we will help Gaza”. So far no help has been visible.
Out on the streets
21 Feb, 2026

Out on the streets

IT had been in the offing for a long time but the latest controversy proved too much for Tariq Hussain Bugti to ...
Karachi tragedy
21 Feb, 2026

Karachi tragedy

APPALLNG firefighting facilities, lax regulations and an uncaring provincial government fan the flames of tragedy in...