Kashmir delegation highlights human rights concerns in IIOJK at UN
On the occasion of the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, a delegation of international human rights organizations and civil society groups addressed concerns on the human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In a news release received on Saturday, the delegation spoke on behalf of the Council during the General Debate under Item 3, drawing attention to what it called widespread restrictions on civic, political, social and cultural rights in the region.
The sixty-third session of the Human Rights Council will take place in Geneva from September 7 to October 7, 2026.
The delegation comprised Advocate Parveez Shah of United Villages, Dr Raja Sajjad of World Muslim Congress, Dr Shugafta Ashraf of Community Advocacy Center, MehruNisa Rehman of International Action for Peace and Sustainable Development and Maria Iqbal Tarana of Commission on Health and Human Rights Promoters.
Freedom of opinion and speech had been heavily constrained, delegates claimed, and they were concerned about surveillance, limits on civic space and what they called a “digital siege” hurting activists, journalists and ordinary individuals.
They also accused the government of land grabs and demographic shifts in the region, and restrictions on the religious rights of the Muslim population.
The delegation received claims of arbitrary incarceration, torture, enforced disappearances and gender-based violence. It also prompted worries over book bans and alterations to university curricula that may jeopardize the preservation of Kashmir’s history and political identity.
“The international community cannot remain a mute spectator to systematic dismantling of human dignity in Kashmir,” the delegation added.
They urged the Human Rights Council to take concrete action and asked for the establishment of an impartial international commission of inquiry to investigate alleged abuses and ensure accountability under international law.
Discussions on Kashmir before the Human Rights Council are ongoing, and concerns were voiced. During the session, Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also called for sustained international attention to the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, while India has refuted such allegations and insists that Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India.