The Europe-wide Signature campaign protesting against Pakistani attempts to illegally annex Gilgit Baltistan, China's designs to cement its stake in Jammu and Kashmir and to raise awareness regarding the objections of the people of Gilgit Baltistan in particular, and Jammu and Kashmir in general, being organized by Junaid Qureshi, a Kashmiri writer, international Human Rights activist and Senior Leader of Srinagar-based JKDLP, was held in front of the United Nations Office in Geneva on JUne 18 and 19.
The renowned Kashmiri writer had started the Europe-wide signature campaign from Amsterdam in April. The campaign has already been held in Brussels, Vienna, Paris and reached Geneva during the 32nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Hundreds of signatures were collected during the two days in front of the UN and thousands of people were about the reservations of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and the rest of Jammu & Kashmir vis-a-vis the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Kashmir by distributing pamphlets and flyers.
Expressing his satisfaction about the progress of the Signature Campaign and the reactions of the people, the Kashmiri writer said, "The Construction of the China-Pakistan Economic corridor is illegal. All Human rights defenders, the UN and the European decision-making institutions, like the EU Parliament should take note and initiate a debate. We, the people of Jammu & Kashmir cannot and will not allow further division of our homeland. We will not allow any country to loot our resources".
The organizer of the Campaign and Senior leader of JKDLP, Junaid Qureshi had addressed the UN a day before, on Friday 17th of June, by speaking at a side-event and strongly objecting to the Chinese presence in Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistan attempts to annex the region, which according to Junaid Qureshi is part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also demanded the release of Baba Jan and his associates, who has been imprisoned by Pakistan on fabricated charges of terrorism.
Munir Mengal, the president of The Baloch Voice Association, a Paris-based organization which has raised the Baloch human rights issue in the European Parliament and at the United Nations, came to the venue to show solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Baloch Voice Association president said, "I think, we all the victims of Pakistan i.e. Kashmiri, Baloch, and Gilgit-Baltistan people must be together and stand against the illegal occupation of our lands and against the illegal strategic designs of the occupier assisted by China".
Mr. Mengal further expressed that, "China must understand that Pakistan has illegally occupied Balochistan by force and any design without the consent of the local people is illegal. The UN has a liability to question Pakistan about the presence of its forces in Balochistan".
Junaid Qureshi further added that the aims and objectives of the Signature Campaign is to create awareness and provoke a debate.
He said, "next month, the signature campaign will move to the UK and will be held in cities like London, Bradford and Birmingham. I hope that the people of UK will support us in the same welcoming manner as the rest of Europe. We hope to collect thousands of signatures there".
