Around 27 Kashmiri youth working in Nepal were taken into custody by Nepal Police in connection with Indian Airlines plane hijacking on the instruction of Indian authorities during a raid on the intervening night of 27th -28th August 2000. Among them was the 35-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Sofi of Baghat Barzulla Srinagar, who became the victim of enforced disappearance after he was arrested by unknown army personnel from his shop in Nepal.
“A team in the civil dress came and picked up our uncle and bundled him in a vehicle, till now we haven’t seen his face once,” says Ishfaq Ahmad, nephew of Ghulam Mohammad Sofi.
“People from the Indian embassy used to come and threaten us saying – we will detain you too on any evidence if you do not stop looking for your uncle and tell us to forget our uncle as he won’t come back now,” adds Ishfaq.
Enforced disappearances in Kashmir started in 1989, following the outbreak of armed conflict. A large number of civilians, students, political activists and militants have disappeared in custody, both during direct central rule (1989-1996) as well as rule by elected state governments (1996-2004). Over the past three decades, more than 8,000 persons have been subjected to enforced or involuntary disappearances.
Video By: Rayees Ahmad | Article By: Nusrat Ali
