Srinagar, March 24 (IANS) Javed Beigh, a prominent human rights defender and Kashmiri activist from Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam, highlighted multiple terror incidents and grave human rights violations during the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

Speaking to IANS, Beigh said his speech touched on three major areas of concern, including terror attacks in Pahalgam and Delhi, systemic violations in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), and atrocities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.

Addressing the recent Pahalgam terror attack, the Kashmiri activist detailed how Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out the assault, targeting innocent civilians based on their religious identity.

He also revisited the November Delhi blast of last year, noting that some children from Kashmir had been radicalised through various channels by handlers operating across the border — a fact he emphasised as well-established.

He strongly held the Pakistani establishment responsible, saying that The Resistance Front (TRF) had claimed responsibility for orchestrating terror activities.

He added that Pakistan must stop sponsoring terrorism other it would face global isolation soon.

Turning to PoJK, Beigh highlighted the severe human rights violations in the region, including the suppression of public protests and crushing of genuine civilian demands by the local administration and military authorities.

He said the people faced widespread governance issues, lack of basic rights, and large-scale violations of human rights, which he has officially registered with the UNHRC.

He noted that the population in PoJK was protesting against increased tariffs and rising prices of essential commodities such as food and other necessities, yet their grievances were met with state oppression.

Beigh also drew attention to atrocities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where he reported airstrikes by the Pakistan Army on civilian villages, resulting in around 30 deaths.

He expressed grave concern over attacks on innocent populations and the continued targeting of civilians in conflict zones.

Highlighting broader human rights concerns, Beigh spoke of the suicide attack on a Shia imambada in Islamabad, where more than 100 people were killed, underscoring the systematic exploitation of minority communities in Pakistan.

He detailed the abduction and forced conversion of young girls, who were then married off to men two to four times their age, as an example of entrenched religious persecution.

Meanwhile, Islamic scholar Maulana Bisharat Hussain Sakafi from Dhingla village in Poonch, who addressed the UN Human Rights Council via video conference, condemned Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism that claimed more than 100 civilian lives in Poonch between 2021 and 2023.

He said that such killings contravene Islamic teachings, calling it a “murder of humanity” disguised under the banner of jihad.

He urged the Human Rights Council to take cognisance of these atrocities and hold Pakistan accountable for acts that violate both human rights and Islamic principles.

Through their addresses, both Beigh and Sakafi called for urgent international attention and action to counter terrorism, radicalisation, and human rights abuses, urging the global community to protect vulnerable populations and uphold fundamental freedoms.

–IANS

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