Pakistan wants India to probe LoC violation

Islamabad urges Delhi to honour the Ceasefire Understanding

ISLAMABAD:

The United Nations Special Procedures for Human Rights once again expressed serious concerns about the revocation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) special status by the Indian occupation forces and imposition of restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association against civil society actors, human rights defenders, political figures and journalists.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing on Friday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, "These concerns were conveyed in a communication dated August 8, 2023 by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the rights of freedom of opinion and expression; Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; and Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief."

Read Two martyred as India breaches Feb 2021 LoC truce

She said, "The special procedures have also highlighted that the framework of India's counterterrorism laws is ripe for human rights abuse and potential violations of India's obligations under international human rights law, particularly the obligation to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights to equality and non-discrimination, the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association, and the right to liberty and security of person."

The spokesperson said the UN Special Procedures had already issued multiple communications on individual allegations of human rights violations in the IIOJK, including arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, ill-treatment, intimidation and reprise.

"The sudden closure of the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission rendered people in the region with little legal recourse in seeking redressal and accountability for violation of their human rights and fundamental freedoms."

Read more Pak condemns Indian minister’s provocative remarks

The latest communication by the UN Special Procedures is a comprehensive document, covering multi-faceted human rights abuses in IIOJK, under the cover of counter-terrorism laws. It indicts India on its human rights record and the grave situation in IIOJK. “We urge India to bring an end to its repression of the Kashmiri people so that they are able to exercise their right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions," she added.

She said a 60-year-old civilian Ghias from the Kotli district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir was killed as a result of unprovoked firing by Indian forces on Aug 21. "The incident took place in the Nikial Sector along the Line of Control (LoC). This was a direct violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, reaffirmed in February 2021," she added.

The spokesperson said, "We have strongly protested this latest provocation from the Indian side and emphasised the vital importance of maintaining peace along the LoC. Pakistan urges India to conduct an investigation into the incident and to honour the Ceasefire Understanding. The Indian forces must also exercise extreme caution and desist from targeting innocent civilians."