Pakistan calls for new UN report on ongoing HR violations in IIOJK
United Nations: Pakistan has called for a new United Nations report on ongoing human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir, following a briefing to a key United Nations General Assembly committee by the UN human rights chief, who noted that global conflicts have doubled since 2010.
Marking his appearance shortly after the 193-member General Assembly approved the renewal of his mandate for a second four-year term, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told the Third Committee that the world was navigating extreme global volatility, systemic geometric inequality and intensifying armed conflicts.
In this regard, Türk reiterated that modern conflict zones—including Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Lebanon, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—had effectively become human rights wastelands where international law was being shamelessly bypassed.
He emphatically declared that “human rights are our greatest source of hope for peace, justice, and sustainability.”
During an interactive dialogue following the High Commissioner’s speech, Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, highlighted the continued denial of the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination, in contravention of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Suppression of freedoms aggravated in IIOJK since 2019
Since August 2019, he pointed out, the suppression of fundamental freedoms in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir had further aggravated the situation.
The High Commissioner’s reports of 2018 and 2019 had documented serious violations and recommended independent investigations, accountability for perpetrators, unhindered access for human rights mechanisms and consideration of an international commission of inquiry, the Pakistani envoy said, pointing out that these recommendations remained unimplemented.
Ambassador Jadoon asked when the next report on Jammu and Kashmir, particularly covering developments in the occupied territory since August 2019, was expected.
He also asked what concrete measures had been taken to advance the implementation of the recommendations contained in the two previous reports.
The UN human rights chief’s response is awaited.
