The Institute of Dialogue, Development & Diplomatic Studies (IDDS), in collaboration with PG Degree College for Girls, Mirpur,  organized a seminar titled Kunan Poshpora: A Gendered War Crime by Indian Occupation Forces in IIOJK – An International Law Perspective.  The seminar was attended by faculty members, staff, administration and students. The primary objective of the seminar was to highlight the gender-based war crimes committed by Indian occupation forces, who have weaponized sexual violence as a tool of war.

The event aimed to raise awareness among students—the future leaders of the nation—about these grave human rights violations.  On the night of February 23, 1991, soldiers from the 4th Rajputana Rifles of the Indian Army entered the villages of Kunan and Poshpora in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and allegedly gang-raped nearly 100 women, ranging from 12 to 60 years of age.

This heinous crime remains one of the darkest episodes in the contemporary Kashmiri freedom struggle, which continues to demand the right to self-determination as per United Nations resolutions.  Despite repeated calls for justice, India has failed to conduct a free and fair investigation into the incident, instead resorting to tactics aimed at delaying the probe and suppressing the truth.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)