Briton jailed in India for nine years released on bail, rights group says
A British man who has been detained in India for nearly nine years without conviction has been released on bail, according to human rights organisation Reprieve.
Pakistan harshly criticized India at the United Nations Human Rights Council over its handling of Kashmir and minority rights. During the 63rd session, Pakistan's First Secretary Adeel M. Khokhar expressed outrage over India's attempts to evade questions about human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and the treatment of minorities.
He emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir has never been part of India and is a disputed territory, as recognized by Security Council resolutions. Khokhar condemned India's refusal to hold a free and impartial plebiscite under UN supervision in the region and highlighted ongoing issues such as extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, and torture of Kashmiris perpetrated by Indian forces.
He also criticized India's implementation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which he deemed a "license for impunity." Khokhar further denounced India's recent actions, including changes to domicile and land laws and delimitation of constituencies in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, aimed at altering the demographic composition of the Muslim-majority territory.
He denounced the destruction of Muslim places of worship and the introduction of a religion-based pathway to citizenship through the Citizenship Amendment Act, which he viewed as discriminatory. Pakisthan's stance against India was further fueled by allegations that Indian authorities involved in the destruction of Muslim places of worship and acts under state patronage.
Khokhar also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party government's failure to elect any Muslim MPs since 2014 and its minimal Muslim representation in the 2024 elections, stating that the BJP's human rights record "deserves the same score: zero." Pakistan also rebuked India's ambassador at the UN General Assembly, accusing the country of elevating propaganda into statecraft, embracing disinformation, and exporting terrorism as an instrument of policy.
He cited the conviction of former Indian naval commander Kulbhushan Jadhav and Nikhil Gupta, who pleaded guilty to plotting the murder of a Sikh leader, as evidence of India's terrorist activities.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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