View source for Human rights abuses in Azad Kashmir

{{Short description|Organized breaches of fundamental human rights in Pakistani-administered Kashmir}}
{{about|human rights abuses in Pakistani-administered territory|human rights abuses throughout the larger region|Human rights abuses in Kashmir|human rights abuses in Indian-administered territory|Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir}}

[[Human rights abuse]]s in [[Azad Kashmir]], Pakistan, have been  issue, ranging from [[Missing person|forced disappearances]],<ref name=ALRC>{{cite news|title=Pakistan: Thousands Of Persons Remain Missing|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1008/S00470/pakistan-thousands-of-persons-remain-missing.htm|newspaper=Scoop|date=27 August 2010|author=Asian Legal Resource Centre|access-date=10 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004152707/http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1008/S00470/pakistan-thousands-of-persons-remain-missing.htm|archive-date=4 October 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=Disappeared>{{cite news|title=The quest for missing persons continue|url=http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/14/no-end-to-agony-of-missing-persons-2.html|newspaper=Dawn|date=February 14, 2012|quote=reported cases of missing persons during 2011 included 43 from Punjab, 25 from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, eight from Sindh, two from Azad Kashmir and 17 from Balochistan.|access-date=March 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318192848/http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/14/no-end-to-agony-of-missing-persons-2.html|archive-date=March 18, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> claimed torture<ref name=Watch>{{cite book|last=Watch|first=Human Rights|title="With Friends Like These..." Human Rights Violations in Azad Kashmir|year=2006|publisher=Human Rights Watch|page=54}}</ref> to political repression and electoral fraud<ref name=Piano>{{cite book|last=Piano|first=Aili|title=Freedom in the World 2009: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties|year=2009|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4422-0122-4|page=860}}</ref> and suppression of [[freedom of speech]].<ref name="Suppression of free speech">{{cite book|title=Human Rights Watch World Report 2007|year=2007|publisher=Seven Stories Press|isbn=978-1-58322-740-4|page=306}}</ref> According to the human rights commission of Pakistan, [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] (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.<ref name=Piano /> Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) is cited to indicate that dozens have disappeared after their arrests in Pakistan-held Kashmir.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}  A significant number of cases point to the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]]’s involvement in these disappearances".<ref name=ALRC/>

[[Brad Adams]], the Asia director at Human Rights Watch has said in 2006 "Although ‘azad’ means ‘free,’ the residents of Azad Kashmir are anything but free. The Pakistani authorities govern Azad Kashmir with strict controls on basic freedoms".<ref name=Adams>{{cite web|last=Adams|first=Brad|title=Pakistan: 'Free Kashmir' Far From Free|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/09/20/pakistan-free-kashmir-far-free|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=2012-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314000110/http://www.hrw.org/news/2006/09/20/pakistan-free-kashmir-far-free|archive-date=2013-03-14|url-status=live}}</ref> Adams cited a law where those who opposed Pakistan's position on Kashmir were not allowed to contest regional elections, as an example of "political repression".<ref name="TN">{{cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/645684-hrw-alleges-abuses-in-ajk-tariq-azim-rejects-report|title=HRW alleges abuses in AJK Tariq Azim rejects report|date=22 September 2006|access-date=7 May 2017|work=The News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507063106/https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/645684-hrw-alleges-abuses-in-ajk-tariq-azim-rejects-report|archive-date=7 May 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The report also detailed it could not find evidence that Pakistan's security agencies were held accountable for incidents involving torture or mistreatment.<ref name="TN"/>

Adams says that the problems were not "rampant" but they needed to be addressed, and that the severity of [[Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir|human rights issues in Indian-administered Kashmir]] were "much, much, much greater".<ref name="TN"/> Pakistan's Information Minister [[Tariq Azim Khan]] rejected the contents of the report and said that Azad Kashmir was free of human rights violations.<ref name="TN"/>

The United Nations [[OHCHR reports on Kashmir]] document a number of human rights violations in "PaK" -  "Restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and association, impact of counter-terrorism on human rights, land rights, restrictions on the freedom of religion or belief and enforced or involuntary disappearances."<ref>Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (8 July 2019). [https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IN/KashmirUpdateReport_8July2019.pdf Update of the Situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir from May 2018 to April 2019.] United Nations. Retrieved on 27 April 2020.</ref><ref>Office of the United Nations High Commissionefor Human Rights (14 June 2018). [https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/PK/DevelopmentsInKashmirJune2016ToApril2018.pdf Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Kashmir: Developments in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir from June 2016 to April 2018, and General Human Rights Concerns in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan] United Nations. Retrieved on 27 April 2020.</ref>

== Pakistan's official response ==
In response to the Human Rights Watch report, Tariq Azim (former Information Minister) said: “This report shows that the people who wrote it had lack of knowledge, and unfortunately they painted a wrong and misleading picture about the human rights situation in Azad Kashmir,” and rejected the report by stating: "Azad Kashmir is free of human rights violations."

In response to Pakistan's statement, Brad Adams (Asia Director, Human Rights Watch) said: “The extent and the severity of the human rights situation on the Indian side is much, much, much greater.” HRW clarified: “We are not saying that the problem is rampant (in Azad Kashmir),” and added: “We say that the problem needs to be addressed.” This acknowledges that issues exist in Azad Kashmir, but not at an extreme or widespread level. Pakistan often compares the situation in Azad Kashmir with Indian-administered Kashmir, which as per HRW’s own words makes the issue appear relatively smaller.<ref>HRW alleges abuses in AJK; Tariq Azim rejects report. The News. 22 September 2006. [https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/645684-hrw-alleges-abuses-in-ajk-tariq-azim-rejects-report](https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/645684-hrw-alleges-abuses-in-ajk-tariq-azim-rejects-report)</ref>

==Notable incidents==
In 2011, Afzaal Suleria stated that the ISI kidnapped and killed a doctor which led to demonstrations against the ISI.<ref name="Choudhry"/> While speaking to Dr Shabir Choudhry, Afzaal Suleria, President of the [[United Kashmir People's National Party]] - Azad Kashmir Chapter said: <blockquote>“Another innocent Azad Kashmiri has become a victim of the ISI. We people are constantly harassed and victimised because we oppose the Pakistani occupation of our motherland.”<ref name=Choudhry>{{cite web|last=Choudhry|first=Shabir|title=PAKISTAN: Another Azad Kashmiri becomes the victim of ISI butchery|url=http://www.humanrights.asia/news/forwarded-news/AHRC-FPR-027-2011|publisher=Asian Human Rights Commission|access-date=2012-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327114952/http://www.humanrights.asia/news/forwarded-news/AHRC-FPR-027-2011/|archive-date=2012-03-27|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote> Other Kashmir National Party leaders, Abbas Butt, Dr [[Shabir Choudhry]], Asim Mirza, Nawaz Majid, and others have strongly denounced this brutal killing and demanded those responsible must be held accountable for their actions.<ref name=Choudhry/>

On 7 May 2011, Dr Rizwan, resident of Muzaffarabad was kidnapped by ISI from his house and 23 May, he was killed.<ref name="Choudhry" />

[[Sardar Arif Shahid]], President of All Parties National Alliance was allegedly assassinated by [[Inter-Services Intelligence|ISI]] on 14 May 2013 outside his house in Rawalpindi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-22559730|title=Kashmiris protest at killing of Sardar Arif Shahid|date=16 May 2013|work=BBC News}}</ref>
          
In October 2019, the People National Alliance organised a rally to free Kashmir from Pakistani rule. As a result of the police trying to stop the rally, 100 people were injured.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shams |first1=Shamil |title=Why calls for independence are getting louder in Pakistani Kashmir |url=https://www.dw.com/en/why-calls-for-independence-are-getting-louder-in-pakistani-kashmir/a-50949454 |website=[[Deutsche Welle]] |access-date=6 December 2020 |date=23 October 2019}}</ref>

On 21 August 2020, Tanveer Ahmed, a British National, was arrested by police after he removed a [[Flag of Pakistan]] from a public square in [[Dadyal]]. In November, his wife told the [[BBC]] that he has held a number of hunger strikes in protest at being denied bail, had become extremely weak and is being tortured.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54921606.amp|title=Fears grow for British man detained in Pakistan-administered Kashmir|date=13 November 2020|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

In January 2021, All Azad Kashmir School teachers Organisation had organized a peaceful rally for pay hike. Some 2,000 teachers took part in it. However, the  police [[baton charge]]d the protesters, leading to dozens being injured. Few days after this incident, 68 teachers were arrested by the police.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1600154|title=Batons, tear gas used to disperse teachers' procession in AJK|date=7 January 2021|publisher=Dawn}}</ref>                                                                   

==Politics==

According to [[Human Rights Watch]], 
<blockquote>the Pakistani government represses democratic freedoms, muzzles the press and practices routine torture.<ref name=HRW/></blockquote>

Tight controls on freedom of expression have been a hallmark of government policy in Azad Kashmir. Pakistan has prevented the creation of independent media in the territory through bureaucratic restrictions and coercion. Under Azad Kashmir's constitution, which Pakistan enforced in 1974, election candidates are “prescreened” to ensure that only those who support Kashmir's union with Pakistan can contest elections. Anyone who wants to take part in public life in Azad Kashmir has to sign a pledge of loyalty to Pakistan, while anyone who publicly supports or peacefully works for an independent Kashmir faces persecution.<ref name=HRW>{{cite news|title=Pakistan: 'Free Kashmir' Far From Free|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/09/20/pakistan-free-kashmir-far-free|access-date=8 August 2012|newspaper=Human Rights Watch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314000110/http://www.hrw.org/news/2006/09/20/pakistan-free-kashmir-far-free|archive-date=14 March 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch:
<blockquote>“The electoral law undermines Kashmiris’ basic political rights by barring them from seeking office if they oppose Kashmir's accession to Pakistan [..] Those who favor independence invite the ire of Pakistan's abusive intelligence agencies and military, and they risk being beaten and jailed.”<ref name="HRW Brad">{{cite news|title=Pakistan: Abuses Feared in Kashmir Elections|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2006/07/05/pakistan-abuses-feared-kashmir-elections|access-date=8 August 2012|newspaper=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> </blockquote>

==See also==
* [[Kashmir conflict]], a territorial conflict between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir
** [[Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir]], an overview of organized abuses in Indian-administered Kashmir
* [[Human rights in Pakistan]], an overview of the state of human rights throughout Pakistan
** [[Human rights violations in Balochistan]], an overview of organized abuses in the Pakistani province of Balochistan related to a separatist insurgency in that region
** [[Human rights abuses in Sindh]], an aspect of politics and organized crime in the Pakistani province of Sindh

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Human rights abuses in Azad Kashmir| ]]
[[Category:Human rights abuses in Pakistan]]
[[Category:War crimes in the Kashmir conflict|*]]