Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) Kashmir

Srinagar, April 28 : In disputed state of  Kashmir, the activists of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) held a monthly sit-in at Municipal Park in Srinagar demanding the whereabouts of their dear ones disappeared in custody.

A spokesman of the APDP talking to media men demanded an international, independent investigation into all fake encounters and human rights violations by Indian troops in the Jammu and Kashmir.

He pointed out that history of Indian army in Jammu and Kashmir stood testimony to the fact that it had never cooperated with the police, judiciary or civil administration in investigations of human rights violations perpetrated by the troops.

The APDP was founded in 1994, when large number of parents used to visit the High court to file or to pursue the Habeas Corpus petitions. The relatives used to take the individual efforts in a disorganised manner.

Finally the Patron, a practicing lawyer and a Human Rights activist with the help of chairperson, herself the victim of Enforced disappearances put them on collective forum for collective efforts. The APDP technically is not a human right group but the association of the sufferers wronged by the functioning of the state, who are campaigning for knowing the whereabouts of their missing relatives. Any person victim of the disappearances could be the member of the association.

The association has no political affiliations or political positions. It is an independent group seeking justice from the state

“In last 20 years army has forced the police to file its version in the FIRs and Macchil fake encounter is one of the recent expose of human rights abuses by the army as well as of how the police are forced to register false FIRs. Despite the media expose army continues to refuse cooperating with the police and civil administration in the investigations,” he deplored.-KMS