Indian SC terms govt’s restrictive orders in IoK as abuse of power

NEW DELI (92 News) – Indian Supreme Court (SC) has asked the government to review its actions in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) within seven days as these are unjustifiable.    Pronouncing its verdict on Friday on pleas filed against restrictions in the territory, the Court termed Indian government's restrictive orders in Occupied Kashmir as abuse of power. The Indian top court ordered for immediate restoration of internet for essential services like health and education and said that right to internet access is a fundamental right under the Constitution and its suspension is unconstitutional. The court also asked the government to publish all orders on Internet suspension and travel restrictions to enable legal challenges. In IoK, reeling under chilling cold, people continue to suffer immensely amid unrelenting military siege and lockdown especially in the Occupied Kashmir Valley and Jammu region. Besides restrictions in force under Section 144, the continued suspension of prepaid mobile phone, text messaging and internet services have compounded the miseries of the besieged people of the occupied territory. The Internet ban has dealt a severe blow to all small and big ventures employing hundreds of thousands of employees. Meanwhile, in blatant violation of the local and international laws, the occupation authorities have opened jobs for non-locals at the High Court of the territory. Some 33 non-gazetted posts were advertised in different categories without restricting, for the first time, the outsiders to apply for the jobs. The move is seen by locals as transgression on their fundamental rights. The High Court of the occupied territory has directed the authorities concerned to produce the latest report on the health condition of incarcerated Bar President, Mian Abdul Qayoom, who is languishing in an Utter Pardesh jail in India. Mian Abdul Qayoom is a diabetic as well as cardiac patient. APHC-AJK leader and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement Vice Chairman Abdul Majeed Malik, in a statement issued in Islamabad, cautioned the people of Occupied Kashmir particularly those belonging to the Pehari community to beware of the opportunists who hold meetings with Indian rulers for privileges. In Washington, US Presidential candidate, Cory Booker, joined Pakistani-American democrat Dr Asif Mahmood at a recent meeting to raise his voice against the gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir particularly after India illegally abrogated Kashmir’s special status on August 5.