THE second controversial death of a Pakistani prisoner in India-held Kashmir in a short span of time is a matter of grave concern. The Foreign Office summoned India’s charge d’affaires on Monday to communicate its displeasure over the reported death of Tabarak Hussain who, the FO said, was “mercilessly shot” by Indian forces. Tabarak was a mentally challenged person and is said to have inadvertently crossed the LoC in 2016. While all extrajudicial killings must be condemned, the murder of an individual with special needs by Indian forces is particularly reprehensible. Late last month, reports had emerged that Mohammad Ali Hussain, another Pakistani incarcerated in IHK, was murdered in a phony encounter.

It must be clearly stated: Pakistani prisoners in the disputed region as well as in Indian jails must be treated with dignity and respect, and their fundamental rights safeguarded. Incidents of this sort, where prisoners are tortured or killed in dubious circumstances, cannot be tolerated. The Indian side claims that Tabarak Hussain died of cardiac arrest, but the FO has questioned this explanation. The Indian authorities need to transparently probe both controversial deaths; those involved must be punished, and the men’s families compensated. But perhaps that is wishful thinking as India maintains a reign of terror in IHK; this was also pointed out in a recent Amnesty International report. The document says that New Delhi has launched a “vicious crackdown” on civil society as well as the media in the disputed region, and the clampdown has intensified since the events of Aug 5, 2019. Amnesty adds that arbitrary arrests and illegal imprisonment are commonplace in the occupied territory. It appears that the deaths of the Pakistani prisoners are linked to this brutal approach. However, whether it is the use of oppressive tactics against defenceless Kashmiris, or the cruel treatment meted out to Pakistani prisoners, universal values demand that India curb such malicious behaviour on its part. Otherwise, it should simply drop all pretences and stop calling itself the ‘world’s biggest democracy’.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2022