51st Session of the UN Human Rights Council (12 September 2022 – 07 October 2022)

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including right to development.

General Debate- Item 3

Intervention by Sajid Hussain

Honourable President,

Our organization is deeply concerned with violations of human rights in Azad Kashmir & Gilgit Baltistan. These areas are historical parts of Jammu & Kashmir which came into being on 16th March 1846 under the treaty of Amritsar. Pakistan violated the standstill agreement and invaded the State of Jammu and Kashmir on 22nd October 1947.
There is no freedom of expression & association, peaceful assembly, economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights including the right to development in the Azad Kashmir & Gilgit Baltistan. The Federal Government is controlling the whole system in Islamabad through its lent officers, where people have no basic human and fundamental rights and even they have no control over their own resources.
The electoral repressive colonial laws are undemocratic and unjustified. Pakistani Political Parties and Ban outfits can register their organizations in Azad Kashmir & but nationalists are not allowed to participate in the election or register their political organizations. The pro-independence political leaders of Azad Kashmir Gilgit Baltistan have either been killed or have languished in jail or living in forced infinite exile.
In Azad Kashmir local culture, traditions and languages Pahari, Gojri, and Kashmir are endangered. In Gilgit-Baltistan, local culture, traditions, Shina, Burushaski, Balti, Wakhi, Khowar and Domaki and other local languages are endangered.These languages are not being systematically passed on in the education system, especially in schools as well as not taught in colleges. There is no separate counting column in the Population Census for these languages.

Pakistan Army has forcefully captured Gojra Fort, Saryan Top, followed by Sri Kot, and now Peer Chinasi. She has violated Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of human rights. Pakistan should respect the Truce Agreement under the UN Security Council Resolution of 13 August 1948 in which she agreed to withdraw its troops from that State. The planned Tourism Development Authority structure and the 15th or 16th amendment in AJK Act 1974 in Jammu and Kashmir governed by Pakistan are unacceptable.
Our organization pleaded with the HRC and the international world to recognize and address the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan-administrated Jammu Kashmir.
Therefore Our Organisation urges HRC to send a fact-finding mission to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, and request that Pakistan respect human rights and guarantee basic freedoms including freedom of speech and peaceful association and assembly, and freedom of movement including the right to life and right to development.

I thank you, Honourable President