ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday condemned increasing harassment and illegal arrest of Kashmiri journalists and civil society activists by Indian occupation forces.

“Pakistan condemns the increasing harassment, illegal arrests and registration of fake criminal cases against journalists and civil society activists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),”says a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

It said the reported attack on Kashmir Press Club on Saturday manifestly reflected India’s entrenched use of brute force and coercion to forcibly silence those raising voices against its horrendous crimes and egregious human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

“Equally condemnable is the increasing use of draconian and inhumane laws including Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Public Safety Act (PSA) and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) with impunity in IIOJK, which reflects India’s colonial mindset,” the statement said, adding that India’s state-sponsored terrorism could never weaken the resolve of Kashmiris for their right to self-determination.

Pakistan also called upon the international community, particularly the United Nations and international human rights and humanitarian bodies, to hold India accountable for its unabated harassment and illegal arrests of journalists, human rights defenders and other civil society activists in occupied Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2022