Karachi: Reports have emerged alleging that India is engaged in a slow-motion genocide in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), primarily through extrajudicial killings in fake encounters, aimed at suppressing the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination. This claim underscores the escalating tensions and human rights concerns in the region.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian troops have reportedly martyred eight Kashmiris, including a 60-year-old man, in the Baramulla, Kulgam, and Rajouri districts over the past three days. These incidents, along with the arrest of hundreds during recent cordon and search operations and house raids, are part of a pattern of violence attributed to Indian forces. Reports also allege the use of drones and chemical weapons by the troops against the youth in the region.

The service claims that these actions are a deliberate strategy by the Narendra Modi-led Indian government and its Hindutva-influenced establishment, aimed at eradicating the indigenous population in IIOJK. This strategy, described as involving the killing of innocent civilians in fake encounters and arrests under oppressive laws, has reportedly been a longstanding tactic of Indian forces in Kashmir.

Political analysts and civil society members in Srinagar, while speaking to media, expressed their distress over the situation. They emphasized that the Kashmiri people are being penalized for demanding their right to self-determination, a right acknowledged by the United Nations. They noted that India itself had brought the Kashmir issue to the UN Security Council, leading to resolutions calling for a settlement through a plebiscite.

These commentators called upon the UN to acknowledge the dire human rights situation in IIOJK and for the international community to hold the Indian government accountable for its actions. The situation in IIOJK, as portrayed by these reports, paints a troubling picture of ongoing conflict and human rights violations.