India has asked the United Nations human rights office when it will publish a report on the steps Pakistan has taken to address concerns about the situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, pressing for investigations into reported killings and an end to restrictions on the ground.
The statement in New York
Anuj Swarup, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, delivered the remarks on Wednesday (local time) during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, in an interactive dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. India urged the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to press for impartial investigations into killings carried out by Pakistani security forces during protests in the region, due process and fair trials for detained leaders of the Joint Awami Action Committee, and the lifting of internet restrictions across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Swarup also took aim at the rights office itself, cautioning against what India called "selectivity and double standards" that erode trust in multilateral institutions. "Pakistan would do well to look inwards," he said, pointing to how rights were not being enjoyed in large parts of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rawalakot.
The backdrop of unrest
The statement comes amid intensifying unrest in PoJK, where the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee has been leading protests over long-pending demands, government inaction and the handling of demonstrations by authorities. Earlier this month, the committee announced an indefinite shutdown and wheel-jam strike across the region.
UN statements referenced by India have called for prompt and impartial probes into killings allegedly involving armed and security forces, access for detained action committee leaders to their families and legal counsel, and the restoration of internet services. The High Commissioner had earlier noted that dozens of people, including protesters and law enforcement personnel, had reportedly been killed since June, ahead of the July Legislative Assembly elections, which were marred by violence and allegations of rigging. Demonstrators have also denounced firing by Pakistani forces on protesters in Rawalakot.
Sources: India calls for "impartial investigations" by UN into killings by Pakistani forces during protests in PoJK — The Tribune | 'Pakistan needs to look inwards': India questions UN rights body's silence on PoK unrest — Times of India
The statement in New York
Anuj Swarup, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, delivered the remarks on Wednesday (local time) during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, in an interactive dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. India urged the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to press for impartial investigations into killings carried out by Pakistani security forces during protests in the region, due process and fair trials for detained leaders of the Joint Awami Action Committee, and the lifting of internet restrictions across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Swarup also took aim at the rights office itself, cautioning against what India called "selectivity and double standards" that erode trust in multilateral institutions. "Pakistan would do well to look inwards," he said, pointing to how rights were not being enjoyed in large parts of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rawalakot.
The backdrop of unrest
The statement comes amid intensifying unrest in PoJK, where the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee has been leading protests over long-pending demands, government inaction and the handling of demonstrations by authorities. Earlier this month, the committee announced an indefinite shutdown and wheel-jam strike across the region.
UN statements referenced by India have called for prompt and impartial probes into killings allegedly involving armed and security forces, access for detained action committee leaders to their families and legal counsel, and the restoration of internet services. The High Commissioner had earlier noted that dozens of people, including protesters and law enforcement personnel, had reportedly been killed since June, ahead of the July Legislative Assembly elections, which were marred by violence and allegations of rigging. Demonstrators have also denounced firing by Pakistani forces on protesters in Rawalakot.
Sources: India calls for "impartial investigations" by UN into killings by Pakistani forces during protests in PoJK — The Tribune | 'Pakistan needs to look inwards': India questions UN rights body's silence on PoK unrest — Times of India
