JEDDAH: The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said on Tuesday it condemned an ongoing security blockade and communication blackout in Indian-administered Kashmir and called on the Indian government to immediately restore all civil liberties.
On August 5, India revoked the constitutional autonomy of the part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir that it administers and moved to quell objections by shutting down communications and clamping down on local leaders.
Pakistan has reacted with fury to India’s decision, cutting trade and transport ties and expelling India’s ambassador. Both countries claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part.
“Despite this iron curtain blockade, there are credible media reports confirming that over 5000, mostly young Kashmiris, have been illegally detained by the security forces, entire political leadership is incarcerated without any legal recourse, and journalists and human rights activists are being prosecuted on false charges,” the OIC’s human rights commission said in a statement.
“These are deplorable and blatant violations of Kashmiris’ fundamental human rights including the right to life, right to freedom of expression, right to peaceful protest and assembly, which are contrary to international human rights law and also violative of India’s commitments/international human rights obligations.”
IPHRC welcomed the Press Statement issued by the Special Procedures/Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council, which has termed the ongoing “blackout as a form of collective punishment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir” and expressed concern over the illegal detentions and enforced disappearances of young protesters and use of excessive force, including live ammunition, to disperse the protests.
“There are similar pronouncements from human rights defenders all over the world, including from within India denouncing the undemocratic and illegal Indian actions, which are arbitrary and inconsistent with international human rights law,” IPHRC said, saying that it “shares these grave concerns and supports the recommendation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a Commission of Inquiry under the UN auspices to comprehensively investigate all the allegations of human rights violations.”
The Commission said it welcomed and echoed the call made by the OIC to the Government of India to immediately lift the curfew and communication blackout in Kashmir and restore fundamental freedoms and civil liberties of the Kashmiris.
OIC’s human rights commission condemns curfew, communication blackout in Kashmir
OIC’s human rights commission condemns curfew, communication blackout in Kashmir
- Calls on government of India to immediately restore all civil liberties
- Supports recommendation to establish UN commission to investigate human rights violations
Pakistan to launch last 2025 anti-polio nationwide drive targeting 45 million children next week
- Over 400,000 frontline health workers will participate in Dec. 15-21 nationwide polio vaccination campaign, say authorities
- Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world, the other being Afghanistan, where wild poliovirus remains endemic
KARACHI: Pakistan will kick off the last nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign of 2025 targeting 45 million children next week, the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) said on Monday, urging parents to coordinate with health workers during the drive.
The campaign takes place days after Pakistan launched a nationwide vaccination drive from Nov. 17-29 against measles, rubella and polio. Pakistan said it had targeted 22.9 million children across 89 high-risk districts in the country with oral polio vaccination drops during the drive.
Over 400,000 health workers will perform their duties during the upcoming Dec. 15-21 nationwide polio vaccination campaign, the NEOC said in a statement.
“Parents are urged to cooperate with polio workers and ensure their children are vaccinated,” the NEOC said. “Complete the routine immunization schedule for all children up to 15 months of age on time.”
Health authorities aim to vaccinate 23 million children in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, over 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over 2.6 million in Balochistan, more than 460,000 in Islamabad, over 228,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan and more than 760,000 children in Pakistan-administered Kashmir during the seven-day campaign, it added.
Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunizations.
Islamabad’s efforts to eliminate poliovirus have been hampered by parental refusals, widespread misinformation and repeated attacks on anti-polio workers by militant groups. In remote and volatile areas, vaccination teams often operate under police protection, though security personnel themselves have also been targeted and killed in attacks.
