Indian NGO urges UNHRC action over human rights violations in PoJK

Geneva [Switzerland], September 9 (ANI): An Indian NGO has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to initiate an independent investigation into the human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), calling for unrestricted international access and accountability for violations against civilians.

In his virtual intervention during the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Yash Kashyap, representative of Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan (RSKS India), said an international order loses its meaning when people seeking to raise their concerns are met with violence, arrests and restrictions on their voices.

Referring to the unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Kashyap said local human rights monitors had documented nearly 90 civilian deaths since clashes began in June 2026, with hundreds of others reportedly injured.

He said the protests were driven by demands including affordable electricity, lower flour prices and a greater say in decisions affecting people's daily lives.

“When hunger is answered with bullets and legitimate dissent with repression, human dignity itself is under attack,” Kashyap told the Council.

He said political differences could not justify unlawful use of force or the denial of fundamental rights, including the right to life, peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

On behalf of RSKS India, Kashyap called on the Human Rights Council to mandate an immediate, independent, impartial and transparent investigation under UN auspices.

He also urged the Council to seek unrestricted access to the region for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Special Procedures, journalists and independent medical observers.

He further called for measures to protect witnesses, preserve evidence and ensure accountability for any violations established through credible investigations.

“An international order cannot call itself democratic while innocent voices are buried beneath fear and silence. The Council must act before more families are forced to mourn,” Kashyap said.

RSKS India said its intervention before the UN Human Rights Council reaffirmed the need for a democratic and equitable international order based on human dignity, accountability and the protection of fundamental freedoms. (ANI)

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