JKHRO Calls for Urgent Senate Scrutiny of Human Rights Violations in AJK
Evidence dossier submitted to Pakistan Senate Human Rights Committee seeks hearings, independent investigations and accountability
The Jammu Kashmir Human Rights Observatory (JKHRO) has formally approached Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Human Rights, seeking urgent parliamentary scrutiny of serious and escalating human rights concerns in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
JKHRO has submitted a substantial package of evidence to the Committee, including its latest human rights reports, a joint communication issued by six United Nations human rights mandates, documentation concerning the reported enforced disappearance of Shoukat Nawaz Mir, and evidence on the expanding use of Fourth Schedule restrictions.
The submission raises concerns relating to civilian deaths, reported arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, alleged unlawful use of force, communications restrictions, disruption to education and daily life, constraints on independent reporting, and the use of security-related measures against activists and political organisers.
JKHRO also drew the Committee’s attention to UN Special Procedures joint communication AL PAK 4/2026, dated 4 September 2026. The communication raises concerns about the proscription of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), the reported application of counter-terrorism measures against its members and supporters, alleged unlawful killings and arbitrary arrests, communications restrictions, and the consequences of Fourth Schedule listings.
The organisation informed the Committee that AJK authorities have issued 445 Fourth Schedule notification entries, more than double the 205-person baseline cited in the UN communication. JKHRO maintains that the scale and consequences of these measures require immediate parliamentary examination, effective review and independent oversight.
The submission further highlights the case of Shoukat Nawaz Mir. The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances confirmed that it considered the case during its 140th session and transmitted it to the Government of Pakistan on 23 September 2026 under its urgent action procedure. The case is registered as No. 10017638.
JKHRO has asked the Senate Committee to:
· Place the submitted evidence before the Committee and consider convening an urgent hearing at which JKHRO can present its findings and relevant authorities can respond.
· Seek information from the relevant federal ministries, agencies and AJK authorities, including clarification of any federal role in the reported operations.
· Examine the Government of Pakistan’s response to UN communication AL PAK 4/2026 and request details of investigations, reviews or protective measures undertaken.
· Recommend independent and transparent investigations into reported deaths, injuries and allegations of unlawful use of force, including the preservation of medical, post-mortem, deployment and operational records.
· Clarify the whereabouts and legal status of detained, disappeared and missing persons and ensure access to families, lawyers and medical care.
· Scrutinise the evidential basis, review mechanisms and practical effects of proscription and Fourth Schedule measures.
· Support the restoration of communications and meaningful access for journalists, human rights organisations and other independent monitors.
“The human rights situation in AJK requires urgent, transparent and credible parliamentary scrutiny. JKHRO has placed documented evidence before the Senate Human Rights Committee and is calling for impartial investigations, protection of victims and witnesses, and meaningful accountability. All credible allegations, including those concerning attacks on law-enforcement personnel, must be examined fairly through an independent and evidence-based process.”
— JKHRO spokesperson
JKHRO has offered to brief the Senate Committee directly and provide further supporting material, subject to safeguards for victims, witnesses and confidential sources. It has also requested written responses, a timetable for follow-up and referral of any matters falling outside the Committee’s remit to the appropriate parliamentary or public authority.