Kashmiri Activist Exposes Pakistan's Brutal PoK Crackdown at UN, Demands UNHRC Intervention

Addressing the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Kashmiri socio-political activist Taslima Akhtar delivered a scathing indictment of Pakistan's escalating human rights violations and state-sponsored crackdowns in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Representing the Association of Terror Victims in Kashmir, the Baramulla-based campaigner brought global scrutiny to Islamabad's use of force against peaceful civilians protesting across the occupied territory.

Ruthless Crackdown on Civic Protests in PoK

Presenting her intervention before international delegates, Akhtar outlined how ongoing public agitations led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and local civil society groups were met with state violence. Civilians across PoK have been taking to the streets over acute economic distress, soaring inflation, discriminatory governance, and basic civil rights, only to face lethal retaliation from Pakistani security establishments. Akhtar reported that Pakistani forces opened fire on demonstrators, deployed indiscriminate physical violence, and arbitrarily detained prominent community leaders to muzzle legitimate dissent.

Mass Arrests, Blackouts, and Call for UNHRC Probe

Highlighting the systematic dismantling of democratic freedoms across PoK, Akhtar detailed how authorities enforced regional internet and telecommunications blackouts alongside mass arrests of activists to obscure facts from international observers. She pointed out that dozens of innocent protesters have lost their lives in violent clashes orchestrated by state forces, deepening regional alienation and civil unrest. Urging the UNHRC to intervene immediately, she demanded independent, transparent international investigations into every extrajudicial death and called for the immediate restoration of civic space, unhindered communication channels, and legal protection for civilians across the region.

The Contrast: Development and Stability in Jammu and Kashmir

Contrasting the deteriorating conditions in PoK with the transformation underway across India's Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Akhtar underscored the tangible socio-economic resurgence witnessed in the Valley. She highlighted how comprehensive skill-building initiatives, smart city projects, modernized rural infrastructure, and a surging local enterprise ecosystem have catalyzed employment and stability across districts like Baramulla and Srinagar. Her address presented a stark global contrast between administrative neglect and heavy-handed repression in PoK and the sustained trajectory of economic empowerment, peace, and institutional normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.