Pakistan stands with IOK as lockdown enters Day 150

Islamabad urges New Delhi authorities to release political detainees, ease restrictions on IOK

Pakistan had reaffirmed its unflinching support and solidarity with the Kashmiris accusing India of stretching the lockdown in Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IOK) to 150 days.

"As part of our unstinted moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmir cause, Pakistan will continue to raise at all international forums the plight of over 8 million innocent Kashmiris under the brutal occupation of 900,000 Indian security personnel, persecuting them day and night with impunity," a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



Terming India’s claims of normalcy returning to the region "farcical", Islamabad called for urgent and effective steps by the world community to address the human rights situation in the region.

"India must immediately lift the continuing lockdown and communications restrictions imposed in the occupied Kashmir since August 5, free all detainees particularly young children, release the senior Kashmiri leadership, remove all draconian laws, withdraw its 900,000 security personnel from the occupied territory, and allow unhindered access to international humanitarian and human rights observers and the international media to the occupied territory,” the statement added.

Already heightened tensions between the two South Asian nuclear-armed rivals have further flared up after India scrapped the special provisions of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The occupied region has been under a near-complete lockdown since August 5.



Several rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly called on India to lift restrictions and release political detainees.

Indian authorities, however, claim that daytime restrictions have been lifted in the occupied region.