Kashmiri delegation draws world attention to deteriorating HR situation in IIOJK
Geneva : In Geneva, a high-level Kashmiri delegation, representing a coalition of international human rights organizations and civil society groups, has drawn the attention of the international community to the deteriorating human rights situation and the systemic oppression of the people in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
According to Kashmir Media Service, the delegation was addressing the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) during the General Debate under Item 3.
During their interventions, the delegation presented a comprehensive indictment of the current regime in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting a multifaceted crisis affecting the social, cultural, economic, and political rights of the Kashmiri people.
Kashmiri delegation, diaspora in Europe protest outside UN office in Geneva
It alerted the Council to the severe shrinking of civic space, noting that freedom of opinion and expression have been virtually eliminated and highlighted the ongoing “digital siege” and the pervasive use of state surveillance to stifle dissent and intimidate activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens.
Critical attention was drawn to the alarming trend of state-sponsored land grabs and deliberate efforts to engineer demographic changes in the region, which threaten the indigenous identity of the population.
The delegation further emphasized the systematic attacks on the religious rights of the Muslim majority in IOK, signaling a dangerous escalation in cultural and spiritual erasure.
It stated, “The international community cannot remain a silent spectator to the systematic dismantling of human dignity in Kashmir. From the digital blackout to the erasure of our history and the violation of our bodies, the regime in IOK is attempting to erase an entire people.”
The delegation called upon the UN Human Rights Council to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action, urging the appointment of an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate these violations and hold the perpetrators accountable under international law.
The delegation comprised prominent advocates and experts, including Dr Raja Sajjad, representing the World Muslim Congress, Dr Shugafta Ashraf, representing the Community Advocacy Centre, Ms Mehrun Nisa Rehman, representing International Action for Peace and Sustainable Development and Ms Maria Iqbal Tarana, representing the Commission on Health and Human Rights Promoters.
