Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has voiced “grave concern” over a new United Nations (UN) report highlighting systemic human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir. The UN experts issued the report on Monday, warning about serious abuses committed by the Indian government following the April terror attack in Pahalgam — an incident for which India blamed Pakistan without presenting any evidence.
UN Report Highlights Widespread Abuses in IIOJK
In its press release issued on Wednesday, the FO stated that Pakistan “notes with grave concern” the findings of the UN Special Procedures experts. The report, it said, once again exposes the severe and systematic oppression faced by the Kashmiri people under Indian occupation.
The FO expressed alarm over the UN experts’ observations that India had carried out nearly 2,800 arbitrary arrests, including journalists, students, and human rights defenders. The use of harsh laws — such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) — has enabled indefinite and unjustified detentions, the statement added.
The report further pointed to disturbing cases of torture, custodial deaths, incommunicado detentions, denial of legal rights, and restrictions on families attempting to reach detainees. It also highlighted punitive home demolitions, forced evictions, recurring communication blackouts, and suppression of press freedom, including the blocking of nearly 8,000 social media accounts.
According to the FO, these findings validate Pakistan’s long-held concerns about state-backed persecution of Kashmiri Muslims and the growing discrimination against religious minorities across India.
Pakistan Urges India to End Repressive Measures
The FO called on India to stop its coercive actions immediately and release all individuals detained without due process in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It also urged India to safeguard minority rights and end the persecution of Muslims and Christians.
Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the FO stressed the need for India to reverse demographic and legal changes, restore basic freedoms, and engage in meaningful dialogue based on UN Security Council resolutions.
Pakistan reaffirmed that it will continue providing moral, political, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their legitimate struggle for self-determination.
The UN report further noted that Indian forces arrested over 2,000 Kashmiris and demolished multiple homes as part of a sweeping crackdown following the Pahalgam attack. Experts emphasised that punitive demolitions, forced evictions, and arbitrary detentions are disproportionate restrictions on fundamental freedoms, including expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
