The United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) held a demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters in Geneva during the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, raising pressing concerns about ongoing human rights abuses in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB).
The protest aimed to shed light on the suffering of individuals living under what the UKPNP referred to as the “colonial rule of Pakistan,” and to demand justice, transparency, and accountability from the international community.
In a statement released by Jamil Maqsood, the President of the UKPNP’s Foreign Affairs Committee, the party expressed its dedication to the universal values enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and various other international human rights treaties.
The UKPNP reminded the global community that every person has the right to life, liberty, and personal security, and should be safeguarded from arbitrary arrest, torture, and extrajudicial killings–rights that, according to the party, are frequently violated in these areas.
The UKPNP voiced deep concern over the extrajudicial murders of two brothers, Zarnish Naseem and Jibran Naseem, in Rawalakot, which is located in PoJK. The UKPNP labelled this event as representative of state-sponsored violence that persists with impunity in the region.
The party condemned Pakistan’s inability to provide justice and called for a transparent and unbiased inquiry into the murders. They demanded the establishment of an independent judicial commission comprising members from the judiciary, civil society, and international human rights observers to hold the perpetrators accountable and offer closure to the families of the victims.
The UKPNP further denounced the ongoing and systematic infringement of basic rights in both PoJK and PoGB. These violations include arbitrary arrests, torture of political activists, enforced disappearances, suppression of peaceful demonstrations, and a total media blackout. The party contended that the inhabitants of these regions are deprived of essential constitutional, political, and economic rights, making it unfeasible for them to lead lives of dignity and freedom.
Moreover, the UKPNP called on the Pakistan government to adhere to international human rights standards and to put an end to the excessive force and unlawful detentions carried out by police and paramilitary forces. They also demanded unrestricted access for international human rights organisations, United Nations Special Rapporteurs, and fact-finding missions to evaluate the situation independently on the ground.
Concluding their protest, the United Kashmir People’s National Party reiterated its call for urgent measures to ensure justice, uphold the rule of law, and restore fundamental freedoms in both PoJK and PoGB. “Silence and inaction empower violators and exacerbate the suffering of the oppressed,” the party stated, appealing to the international community, particularly the United Nations Human Rights Council, to take significant notice of these violations and to urge Pakistan to fulfil its obligations regarding international human rights.
