UKPNP activists highlight human rights violations in PoK

Activists of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) has highlighted gross human rights violations committed by Pakistan in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

"Our organization is deeply concern over serious human rights violations in PoK and Gilgit Baltistan. The practice of enforced disappearances has increased dramatically security forces continued to act with impunity and are accused of widespread human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, deaths in custody and extrajudicial executions," UKPNP activist Nasir Aziz Khan said.

"We urge upon the HRC to take serious note on Pakistan's human rights situation and put pressure on the government to repeal all discriminatory clauses from the constitution and protect the life and liberty of people, produce all disappeared persons and release all political prisoners," he added.

Another activist from the party used the occasion to throw light on the denial of rights to the residents of PoK.

"The beginning of the new millennium has awakened many societies to the reality and recognition of the human dignity. But unfortunately, the people of Pakistani peripheries have been systematically denied to enjoy those rights recognised by the international community," another party activist Jamil Maqsood said.

"The state of human rights and freedom of expression and religion have been dogmatised," he added.

Jamil Jamil urged to this council to ask Pakistan to revive fundamental rights of the people, abolish all discriminatory laws against political parties, human rights defenders and allow the press to freely function in PoK.