Srinagar: Families of victims from the Pathribal incident in Indian-administered Kashmir are calling on the United Nations to investigate a controversial encounter from 25 years ago. The appeal coincides with the anniversary of the event, where five individuals were killed by Indian troops in what was later deemed a fake encounter.

The Kashmir Media Service reported that the victims, initially labeled as foreign militants by Indian authorities, were later identified as local laborers. The incident took place on March 25, 2000, shortly after a massacre of 35 Sikh community members in the Chattisinghpora area of Islamabad district. The massacre was initially blamed on foreign militants, who were later revealed to be the same local laborers.

In the days following the Pathribal incident, eight more civilians were killed by troops during a protest in Barakpora village. Families in the Shangus area have since urged the UN to investigate all fake encounter killings in the region dating back to 1989.

Juma Khan, Bashir Ahmad Butt, Mohammad Yousuf Malik, and Zahoor Ahmad Dalal were among the civilians killed in the Pathribal encounter. A family member expressed skepticism about receiving justice from those they accuse of committing the crime. The families are also seeking the involvement of international human rights organizations.

In a related statement, Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, spokesman for the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), paid tribute to the Pathribal victims on their anniversary. He reaffirmed the commitment to the ongoing struggle for freedom from Indian control and criticized those prolonging the occupation.