Published : 09 Aug 2026, 07:09 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:31 AM
The United Nations has called for accountability over the reported crackdown on peaceful protesters in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), stressing that authorities must respect the right to peaceful assembly.
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq made the call while talking about the situation and human rights concerns in the region.
He said authorities in all jurisdictions should uphold people's right to peaceful protest, ANI reports.
“The secretary-general supports the work of his High Commissioner, and we certainly hope that the pleas made by Mr Turk will be listened to,” Haq was quoted as saying by ANI, referring to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
He also addressed calls for investigations into alleged harm against protesters, saying those responsible should be held accountable.
“It’s important that all authorities everywhere allow for peaceful protest, and certainly that is the case here. If there have been people harmed for engaging in peaceful protest, there needs to be accountability for that,” ANI quoted Haq as saying.
His comments followed Turk's expression of concern over clashes in PoJK in the weeks leading up to Legislative Assembly elections.
Turk had urged authorities to exercise restraint and ensure investigations into reported deaths, regardless of whether the victims were protesters or security personnel.
ANI reported that the UN said dozens of people, including demonstrators and law enforcement personnel, have reportedly been killed since June amid protests linked to political unrest ahead of the elections.
Turk also raised concerns over Pakistan's decision to ban the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), which has led the protest movement.
The group was outlawed under anti-terrorism laws, while several of its leaders were subsequently arrested, according to ANI.
The UN human rights chief called on authorities to ensure detainees have access to their lawyers and families, as well as due process and fair trials.
ANI reported India's Ministry of External Affairs also criticised Pakistan's handling of the unrest. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the international community was witnessing a suppression of fundamental rights in PoJK.
“Recent weeks have seen Pakistani security forces resort to lethal violence, targeted killings, and draconian bans to silence peaceful civil rights-led by the local populace. Such state-sponsored violence against unarmed civilians exposes the profound hypocrisy of the Pakistani establishment.”
According to ANI, he urged Islamabad to end the violence in PoJK, take action against militant networks operating from Pakistan and vacate territories India claims are under Pakistani occupation.
