PM calls for global action against torture, highlights IIOJK rights violations

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating torture in all its forms, while urging the international community to ensure accountability for alleged human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In a message issued on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the prime minister said Pakistan stood in solidarity with victims of torture worldwide and remained committed to protecting human dignity, justice and fundamental human rights.

“This day serves as a poignant reminder of the inherent dignity and worth of every human being,” Sharif said, adding that torture and all forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment were unacceptable and violated both international law and Islamic principles.

The prime minister said Pakistan would continue strengthening the implementation of relevant laws, advancing legal and institutional reforms, and reinforcing national mechanisms aimed at protecting victims and ensuring accountability for perpetrators.

He said victims of torture deserved the highest standards of medical, psychological, legal and social support.

Sharif also expressed concern over what he described as the systematic use of torture by foreign occupying powers, specifically referring to Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He said people in the two territories continued to face state repression, torture and degrading treatment at the hands of occupying authorities, and called on the international community to condemn such actions and ensure accountability.

The prime minister said Pakistan was drawing global attention to what it described as decades of human rights violations in IIOJK, including arbitrary detentions, custodial torture, enforced disappearances, collective punishment, restrictions on freedom of expression and suppression of political dissent.

He said reports by international human rights organisations and United Nations human rights mechanisms had raised concerns over the human rights situation in the disputed region.

Sharif urged the international community, the United Nations and human rights organisations to promote effective international cooperation for the protection of victims of torture and to hold those responsible for such violations accountable.

He reiterated Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of IIOJK and reaffirmed Islamabad’s support for their right to self-determination in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.