Two More Kashmiris Detained Under Draconian PSA in Kishtwar, IIOJK

In yet another move to stifle dissent in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian authorities have detained two Kashmiri residents in Kishtwar district under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA) — a law widely criticized for enabling arbitrary detentions without trial.

The two detainees have been identified as Rustam Ali of Hunjala tehsil and Arshad Hussain of Guryan. Indian authorities allege that both were involved in what they term “anti-India activities,” with multiple cases registered against them. However, no substantial evidence has been made public to support these claims.

To legitimize the detention, the District Magistrate of Kishtwar, Rajesh Kumar Shravan, issued PSA warrants for both individuals — a tactic human rights defenders say is routinely used to silence Kashmiri voices. As a result, Ali and Hussain were taken into custody and shifted to jail under preventive detention.

The PSA, dubbed a “lawless law” by Amnesty International, allows detention without formal charges or a fair trial for up to two years. It has become one of the most abused tools of repression in IIOJK, disproportionately targeting Kashmiri youth, activists, and religious leaders.

Since the false flag operation in Pahalgam on April 22, the crackdown has intensified, with more than 3,000 Kashmiris — mostly youth — arrested across the occupied territory. Observers believe this is part of a larger strategy to create fear and silence dissent in the wake of India’s growing international isolation over its human rights abuses in IIOJK.

“This is systematic repression disguised as law enforcement,” said a Kashmiri human rights lawyer. “The PSA has become a political weapon to crush aspirations and deny justice.”

International human rights organizations have repeatedly called on India to repeal the PSA, release political prisoners, and end the cycle of arbitrary detentions in the disputed region.