Key points
- Pakistan condemns arbitrary arrests of Kashmiris after New Delhi blast.
- FO warns of worsening human rights abuses in IIOJK.
- Kashmiris face detentions, profiling based on identity and faith.
- Thousands of Kashmiri youth remain missing, FO states.
- Pakistan urges UN bodies to investigate rights violations.
- FO calls for UN-mandated resolution of Kashmir dispute.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan expressed deep concern on Friday over the recent wave of arbitrary arrests and detentions of Kashmiri residents in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) following the bomb blast incident in New Delhi, urging the international bodies to take notice of the deteriorating human rights situation in the region.
In a statement responding to media queries, the Foreign Office said the sweeping crackdown, coupled with “widespread detentions, arbitrary arrests, and extensive restrictions on fundamental freedoms,” amount to the collective punishment of the Kashmiri population. Reports of profiling Kashmiri youth on the basis of identity and faith had further intensified concerns, it added.
The Foreign Office said India continued to pursue policies aimed at altering the demographic character of the territory and eroding its religious, cultural and social heritage. These measures, Pakistan argued, reflected a deliberate strategy to suppress the legitimate political aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
“Thousands of Kashmiri youth remain missing, while many recognised political representatives are still behind bars. Such coercive actions cannot undermine the Kashmiri people’s enduring commitment to realising their internationally recognised right to self-determination,” the Foreign Office said.
Pakistan urged the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to “take full cognisance” of the situation. It called on international bodies to press India to undertake remedial measures, ensure accountability for documented rights violations, and allow credible human rights organisations to conduct independent assessments in the region.
The Foreign Office reiterated that a just and lasting settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, remained essential for sustainable peace and stability in South Asia.
