The Seminar Condemns India’s Human Rights Violations in IIOJK

As India continues to assert control over IIOJK through violence and draconian laws, speakers at a seminar in Islamabad have condemned the country’s actions, asserting that India’s claims to democracy are undermined by its brutal occupation of IIOJK.

A seminar titled “India’s So-called Democracy: Human Rights Violations in IIOJK and International Court Systems” was held at the Shaheed Hall Judicial Complex in Islamabad, Pakistan, organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell’s Legal Affairs Wing in collaboration with the Islamabad Bar Association. The event brought together prominent leaders, legal experts, and human rights advocates to discuss the ongoing human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the international community’s response.

Key speakers at the seminar included Ghulam Mohammad Safi, Convenor of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Naeem Gujjar, Advocate and President of the Islamabad Bar, Altaf Hussain Wani, Chairman of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations, and Professor Fahd Amin, a law expert from Quaid-i-Azam University. They were joined by Dr. Sajad Latif, Director of the Kashmir Policy Research Institute, Sardar Sajid Mahmood, In-charge of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell Legal Affairs Wing, and other prominent figures.

The seminar focused on condemning India’s genocidal actions in IIOJK under the cover of draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The speakers pointed out that India’s brutal occupation has stripped the Kashmiri people of their fundamental right to self-determination and continues to deny them their basic human rights. The leaders emphasized that India’s actions, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and the use of pellet guns which have permanently blinded many Kashmiri civilians, are clear violations of international human rights law.

India’s abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which granted IIOJK a special status, was also condemned by the speakers. They highlighted how this illegal move is part of India’s larger plan to alter the demographic composition of the region by settling non-Kashmiris in a region with a Muslim-majority population—an act which directly contradicts UN resolutions on Kashmir and violates international law.

The speakers also rejected India’s claims that it is not bound by UN resolutions on Kashmir, reminding the audience that India had originally promised to hold a plebiscite to grant the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination, as agreed upon by the United Nations. The event underlined the importance of holding India accountable for these violations and urged the international community, especially human rights organizations, to intervene and ensure that Kashmiris’ rights are protected.

Among the attendees were prominent lawyers and civil society members, including Raja Khan Afsar Khan, Director of the Kashmir Centre Rawalpindi, and several senior advocates such as Advocate Nisar Shah, Advocate Dalaawar Khan, and Advocate Wasi Tahir. The seminar concluded with a call for a united international front to support Kashmir’s rightful demand for freedom and justice.

In parallel, Mushtaq Ahmad Butt, Secretary Information of APHC-AJK, met with Nisarah Abbasi, Advisor to the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, in Muzaffarabad. They discussed the ongoing atrocities committed by the Indian government, demographic changes, enforced disappearances, and the upcoming Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5. The leaders also planned the commemoration of Afzal Guru’s martyrdom on February 9, alongside organizing a Kashmir Martyrs’ Conference to honor the sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people.