GENEVA — Pakistan raised the Kashmir issue once again at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, insisting that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognized disputed territory whose status cannot be changed by unilateral action, according to The Nation.
Speaking in response to India’s remarks during a council session, Pakistan’s First Secretary Adeel Mumtaz Khokhar reminded delegates that the region’s disputed nature is clearly reflected in United Nations Security Council resolutions. “This is a legal reality that no unilateral action can erase,” he said, rejecting what he called India’s “false assertions.”
Khokhar said Pakistan had raised a core human rights matter under the Vienna Declaration, the right to self determination, which he argued is being denied to the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He accused India of failing in its international obligations, saying New Delhi had chosen “baseless allegations” over meaningful dialogue.
Highlighting the human cost, he described curbs on freedoms in the region, pointing to the detention of political leaders, bans on public gatherings, and restrictions on religious practices including Friday and Eid prayers. “A state that fears prayers, fears its people,” he said, drawing attention to what he called a climate of fear.
Khokhar also referenced cross-border actions, mentioning the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, whom Pakistan accuses of espionage. He claimed India’s reach extends beyond the region, invoking the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and the ongoing trial of Nikhil Gupta in the United States as part of a “wider pattern.”
Turning to water disputes, the diplomat criticized India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, saying the agreement had no clause allowing such action. “Water cannot be weaponized. Treaty obligations cannot be switched on and off at will,” he said, urging India to “course correct” and honor its commitments under international law.
