India has called on Pakistan to end alleged human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), accusing its armed forces of using repression and violence against people protesting over their basic rights, living conditions and the exploitation of local resources.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee on Friday, BJP MP Mahima Kumari Mewar said Pakistani forces and their proxies had killed dozens of civilians during protests in recent months.
“We call upon Pakistan to stop the grave and ongoing human rights violations in the areas illegally occupied by it, where the population is in open revolt against Pakistan, its military occupation, repression, brutality, and illegal exploitation of resources,” Mewar said.
She exercised India’s right of reply after Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative, Usman Jadoon, raised Kashmir during the committee’s deliberations.
Mewar criticised Pakistan’s record on democracy, religious extremism and terrorism, saying a country facing such allegations should refrain from lecturing others on these issues at the United Nations.
Reiterating New Delhi’s position on the disputed region, she declared that Jammu and Kashmir “is and always remains an integral and inalienable part of India”.
The protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have been driven by public anger over resource exploitation, deteriorating living conditions and rising prices. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a coalition of civil society groups, has emerged as a leading force in the demonstrations. The source account said more than 90 people had been killed in a crackdown by Pakistani security forces.
Mewar represents Rajasthan’s Rajsamand constituency in the Lok Sabha and is part of India’s delegation to the UN General Assembly.
Earlier, delivering India’s statement before the Fourth Committee, she reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to the global decolonisation process. She said that while more than 80 countries had freed themselves from colonial rule, the process remained incomplete.
Seventeen non-self-governing territories remain on the committee’s agenda, she noted, calling for a pragmatic approach that would help fulfil the legitimate aspirations of their populations.
The UN list includes the Falkland Islands, also known as the Malvinas, which are administered by Britain but claimed by Argentina. The dispute has repeatedly prompted exchanges between Britain, Argentina and their respective supporters at the United Nations.
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