Pakistan has expressed serious alarm following the recent findings by United Nations Special Procedures experts that document widespread human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The comprehensive report highlights systematic violations under Indian occupation that demand immediate international attention.
Systematic Human Rights Violations Documented
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi stated that the UN report confirms Pakistan's longstanding concerns about the treatment of Kashmiri people. The investigation reveals that Indian authorities have arbitrarily arrested and detained approximately 2,800 individuals, including journalists, students, and human rights defenders who peacefully expressed their opinions.
The report identifies specific legislation used to enable these violations. Draconian laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) have created a legal framework that permits indefinite detention without proper justification or due process.
Multiple Forms of Oppression Documented
UN experts documented numerous disturbing practices in the occupied territory. The findings include:
- Instances of torture and custodial deaths
- Incommunicado detention without family contact
- Denial of legal process and fair trial rights
- Punitive demolitions and forced evictions
- Recurring communication blackouts
- Suppression of press freedom including blocking of 8,000 social media accounts
- Rising hate speech, lynching, and harassment targeting Kashmiris and Muslim communities across India
These practices form a pattern of systematic oppression that affects all aspects of daily life for Kashmiri people living under occupation.
Pakistan's Response and Demands
The spokesperson emphasized that these findings validate Pakistan's consistent position regarding state-sponsored persecution of Kashmiri Muslims and discrimination against minorities throughout India. Pakistan has called upon India to take several immediate actions:
- Cease all coercive measures in IIOJK
- Unconditionally release all arbitrarily detained individuals
- Take concrete steps to end persecution of religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians
- Reverse demographic and legal alterations in the region
- Restore fundamental freedoms and engage in meaningful dialogue
Pakistan reiterated its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute based on relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and respecting the aspirations of Kashmiri people. The nation will continue providing moral, political, and diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their legitimate struggle against foreign occupation.
The UN report serves as crucial international validation of the severe human rights situation that Pakistan has consistently brought to global attention, underscoring the urgent need for intervention to protect Kashmiri rights.
