‘India used Pahalgam incident to detain over 2,000 Kashmiris’

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, has strongly criticised India for using the Pahalgam incident as a pretext to arrest over 2,000 Kashmiris. He said India is attempting to crush the Kashmiri people’s legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination.

During a UN Security Council briefing, Ambassador Iftikhar spoke in detail about the deteriorating human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He expressed grave concern over the discovery of thousands of unmarked and unidentified graves, which have been found in recent years across the region.

He stated that these graves reflect a disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances. According to him, Indian occupation forces are involved in abducting, torturing, and executing civilians without trial.

The ambassador called on the international community to take urgent steps to resolve the crisis of missing persons in Kashmir. He urged the UN to prioritise conflict prevention and peaceful dispute resolution, stressing that these are vital for addressing serious human rights abuses in the region.

Asim Iftikhar reminded the Security Council that lasting peace in South Asia is not possible without resolving the Kashmir dispute, and highlighted that the Kashmiri people must be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination, as guaranteed under UN resolutions.