ISLAMABAD, 20 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): A delegation representing international human rights organisations and civil society groups has raised concerns over the human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) during the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), highlighting what it described as widespread restrictions on civic, political, social and cultural rights in the region. According to a press release received here on Saturday, the delegation addressed the Council during the General Debate under Item 3, while the 63rd session is being held in Geneva from September 7 to October 7, 2026. The delegation comprised Advocate Parveez Shah of United Villages, Dr Raja Sajjad of the World Muslim Congress, Dr Shugafta Ashraf of the Community Advocacy Centre, MehruNisa Rehman of International Action for Peace and Sustainable Development, and Maria Iqbal Tarana of the Commission on Health and Human Rights Promoters. The representatives said freedom of opinion and expression had been severely restricted and expressed concerns over surveillance, restrictions on civic space and what they termed a “digital siege” affecting activists, journalists and ordinary citizens. They also alleged land grabs and demographic changes in the region, along with restrictions affecting the religious rights of the Muslim population. The delegation further highlighted allegations of arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances and gender-based violence, and raised concerns over restrictions on books and changes to academic curricula, which it said could affect the preservation of Kashmir’s history and political identity. “The international community cannot remain a silent spectator to the systematic dismantling of human dignity in Kashmir,” the delegation said. The representatives urged the Human Rights Council to take concrete measures and called for the establishment of an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate alleged violations and ensure accountability under international law. Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation also called for continued international attention to the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, while India has rejected such allegations and maintains that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.