Extrajudicial killings by Pakistan establishment not acceptable: Activist at UNHRC
Jul 09, 2020
Geneva [Switzerland], July 09 : Asserting that extrajudicial killings by Pakistani establishment in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are "not acceptable", activist Sajjad Raja on Thursday urged United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to put Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government on notice for the summary execution of various Kashmiri leaders.
Speaking at 44th session of the UNHRC, Raja, Chairman of the National Equality Party JKGBL, said:" The extrajudicial killings taking place in Pakistani occupied so-called 'Azad' Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are not acceptable. The citizens of Azad Kashmir stand before you today, seeking intervention on the repression and extrajudicial killings of our people."
"'Azad' means 'free', but this is a false label that has been attached to our people to hide the truth in a disgusting way. In fact, any dissent towards Pakistan is mercilessly crushed through lent officers, army atrocities and the ISI," he said.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, he said that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) carries out extensive surveillance operations on the press and pro-independence groups. Raja said that the Pakistan government and the military have carried out arbitrary arrests in which people have been tortured and several have died.
"According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, ISI carries out extensive surveillance operations on the press and pro-independence groups, they have carried out arbitrary arrests in which people have been tortured and several have died," Raja said.
"I request this august council, that the Pakistani government be put on notice on specific cases of extrajudicial killings and summary executions such as Arif Shahid, Sayed Haider Shah Rizvi, Ali Murtaza, Sher Khan, Qazi Khushal and Raja Nazim to name a few," he added.
Pakistan has a long history of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killing, many of which have targetted human rights and minority defenders critical of the government and the military, as well as persons suspected or accused of involvement in the opposition.
The experts stressed that there can be no justification for the Pakistan government's failure to end enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings and that any such violation must be investigated, prosecuted and punished.
