Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the latest findings by United Nations Special Procedures experts regarding human rights violations in Indian Illegally-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
According to a statement by the Foreign Office spokesperson, the report issued on November 24 highlights “severe and systematic” violations endured by Kashmiris under Indian occupation. The findings note that nearly 2,800 individuals, including journalists, students, and human rights defenders, have been arbitrarily arrested and detained.
The spokesperson emphasized that India’s continued use of repressive laws, including the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), enables prolonged and unjustified detentions.
The report also documents instances of torture, custodial deaths, denial of due legal process, incommunicado detention, punitive demolitions, forced evictions, recurring communication blackouts, and restrictions on press freedom, including the blocking of over 8,000 social media accounts.
Pakistan reiterated that these violations reaffirm its longstanding concerns over the state-sponsored persecution of Kashmiri Muslims and discrimination against minorities across India. The statement called on India to immediately cease coercive measures and release all those arbitrarily detained, while urging concrete steps to end persecution of religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians.
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Highlighting its commitment to a peaceful and just resolution of the Kashmir dispute, Pakistan underscored that any settlement must comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions and reflect the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. “We urge India to halt its repressive policies, reverse demographic and legal alterations, restore fundamental freedoms, and engage sincerely in meaningful dialogue,” the statement said.
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The UN experts, in a report released Monday, raised alarm over serious human rights violations following a terror attack in Pahalgam in April, for which India accused Pakistan without evidence. The experts noted that over 2,000 Kashmiris were arrested, and numerous homes were demolished during the subsequent crackdown. They also documented forced evictions, arbitrary displacement, and reports of detainees being tortured, held incommunicado, and denied access to legal counsel or family.
“These measures constitute disproportionate restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly,” the UN experts concluded.
Pakistan affirmed it will continue to provide moral, political, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle against foreign occupation.
