UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep concern over the ongoing unrest and protest-related deaths in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Volker Türk called for swift, comprehensive, and impartial investigations into the deaths of dozens of protesters and law enforcement personnel since June.
The United Nations criticised the Pakistani authorities' ban on the Joint Awami Action Committee and the subsequent arrest of its civil society leaders.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk Seeks Investigation Into Protest Deaths in PoK
Dozens of people, mostly protesters and some law enforcement personnel, have died since June, the UN rights office stated
Summary
The United Nations human rights agency has expressed concern over the ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a statement from Geneva on Friday expressing unease over the situation.
Dozens of people, mostly protesters and some law enforcement personnel, have died since June, the UN rights office stated. Legislative assembly elections in PoK are scheduled for July 27, 2026.
Türk appealed for calm ahead of the polls, calling for swift, comprehensive and impartial inquiries into all deaths linked to the unrest.
Crackdown On Civil Society
Pakistan recently banned the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) under anti-terrorism laws over allegations of threatening public order and security. Several leaders of the group have since been arrested. The civil society movement was spearheading the protests.
The UN rights office stated that penalising civic organisations and limiting public meetings provoke grave worries regarding the freedoms of speech, peaceful gathering and association.
The global body urged authorities to guarantee that detained JAAC leaders can consult lawyers, communicate with relatives and receive complete due process. The agency also criticised restrictions on internet access in the region.
The UN rights office stated, "We urge the authorities to ensure full internet access throughout the territory."
Türk called for constructive and broad-based political discussions to tackle the root complaints of the local population.
India Demands Global Accountability
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the PoK protests during a media briefing on July 14. He also responded to questions on the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
Jaiswal said, "The ongoing protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir are a direct consequence of Pakistan's decades-long systemic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights and administrative operation in areas under its illegal and forcible occupation."
He criticised the response to public dissent. Jaiswal said, "Rather than addressing the legitimate grievances of the local population, the Pakistani state has responded with excessive police brutality...We expect and hope that the international community will hold Pakistan fully accountable for these egregious abuses and misdeeds."
Advertisement
India consistently maintains that Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India while regularly accusing Pakistan of human rights violations and suppressing the rights of people living in the region.
Published At: