India Asks UN Rights Office For Report On Pakistan’s Actions In PoK

India has asked the United Nations human rights office when it will publish a report on Pakistan’s response to concerns over human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including reported killings, internet restrictions and the detention of protest leaders. New Delhi also accused the UN body of selective scrutiny, saying alleged double standards undermine trust in multilateral institutions.

First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Anuj Swarup, raised the issue on Wednesday during an interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee.

Swarup referred to earlier statements by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the High Commissioner that called for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into killings involving armed and security forces in PoK.

The UN statements also urged authorities to provide detained leaders of the Joint Awami Action Committee access to legal representation and their families, ensure due process and fair trials, lift internet restrictions across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and hold meaningful political dialogue to address local grievances.

“When can we expect OHCHR to issue a report on the steps taken by the Government of Pakistan on this?” Swarup asked. He urged Pakistan to examine its own human rights record, citing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rawalakot, which he described as being under Pakistan’s illegal occupation.

In July, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk appealed for calm amid unrest ahead of the July 27 regional Legislative Assembly elections. He said dozens of people, mostly protesters but also law enforcement personnel, had reportedly been killed since June. Turk called for impartial investigations into all deaths and expressed concern over internet restrictions.

Swarup accused the OHCHR of “extreme selectivity”, arguing that violent responses to protests in neighbouring countries and Western nations had gone uncommented upon. Such double standards, he said, contributed to a loss of trust in multilateralism and the UN rights office.

He cited Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence and equality, saying India’s Constitution guarantees fundamental rights and that law enforcement agencies operate within the law, with courts available to address grievances.

Swarup added that India, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, would continue engaging with the High Commissioner and OHCHR in a “spirit of trust and partnership without selectivity and double standards”. He reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh enjoy the same constitutional rights as other Indian regions and are integral parts of the country.