ISLAMABAD (MNN); The Foreign Office on Wednesday voiced deep concern over a United Nations report pointing to persistent and systemic human rights abuses in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
On Monday, UN special procedures experts warned of severe rights violations in the region following a Pahalgam terror incident in April, which India attributed to Pakistan without presenting evidence.
The FO, in an official statement, said Pakistan takes serious note of the latest remarks by the UN panel regarding India’s actions in the illegally occupied territory.
The report, the FO noted, once again draws attention to the ongoing and systematic abuses faced by Kashmiris under Indian rule. It highlighted that nearly 2,800 people, including journalists, students and rights defenders, were subjected to arbitrary detention after the attack.
The statement expressed concern over the use of harsh laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Public Safety Act, which enable prolonged, often unjustified detention. It also cited disturbing accounts of torture, custodial deaths, denial of legal rights, incommunicado confinement, forced evictions, punitive house demolitions and repeated communication blackouts.
The FO further noted suppression of press freedom, including the blocking of around 8,000 social media accounts, alongside rising incidents of hate speech, lynching and harassment targeting Kashmiris and Muslims across India. These findings, it said, reinforce Pakistan’s long-standing stance that state-driven persecution in Kashmir persists and minorities across India face discrimination.
Pakistan urged India to stop coercive measures, immediately release all arbitrarily detained persons in Kashmir and safeguard the rights of religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians.
Reaffirming its commitment to a peaceful and just resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the FO called on Delhi to reverse its demographic and legal changes, restore fundamental freedoms and engage in meaningful talks as per UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiris.
Pakistan also pledged to continue its political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle against foreign occupation. The UN experts further noted that more than 2,000 people were detained post-Pahalgam attack, with multiple cases of home demolitions, forced displacement and detainees allegedly being denied access to lawyers and families.
