India tears into Pak at UN: End human rights violations in occupied areas

India called upon Pakistan to end grave human rights violations in territories under its illegal occupation, days after violent unrest rocked Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), leaving over 12 civilians dead and hundreds injured.

With Pakistan again raising the Kashmir issue at the United Nations, India's Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish said that while the people of Jammu and Kashmir exercise their fundamental rights, such concepts are "alien" to Pakistan.

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir exercise their fundamental rights in accordance with India's time-tested democratic traditions and constitutional framework... We, of course, know that these are concepts alien to Pakistan," he said.

The envoy reiterated India's long-standing stance that Jammu and Kashmir "has been, is, and will always be" an integral and inalienable part of the country.

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN PAKISTAN

Pakistan's democracy remains fragile, with elected governments being heavily influenced by the powerful military. The country has been under military rule for 33 years, and none of its prime ministers have completed a full five-year term.

Tearing into Pakistan over recent protests in POK, Harish urged Pakistan to end the repression and human rights violations by its military in illegally occupied areas.

"We call upon Pakistan to end the grave and ongoing human rights violations in the areas illegally occupied by it, where the population is in open revolt against Pakistan’s military occupation, repression, brutality and illegal exploitation of resources," he said.

Unprecedented protests that erupted in POK in October over civic issues soon snowballed into a broader agitation against excesses by the military, bringing the region to a standstill. The unrest raged on for over 10 days as protesters fought pitched battles with security personnel, leaving 12 dead.

The unrest, which shook Islamabad's grip on the region, ended after the Pakistani government signed an agreement with the protest leaders.

Before signing off, the Indian envoy emphasised that the UN must undertake "real, comprehensive reforms". He also cautioned member states against using the UN as a "theatre for divisive politics and parochial purposes".

"An outdated council architecture that mirrors the geopolitical realities of 1945 is not equipped to handle the challenges of 2025," he said.

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