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SRINAGAR: Occupation forces have escalated military operations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), triggering widespread fear among residents and drawing renewed attention to the region’s worsening human rights situation.
Over the past few days, Indian troops have launched intensive cordon-and-search operations in Kathua and Samba districts of the Jammu region. Witnesses report house raids, identity checks, and detentions conducted without warrants. In a separate incident, two individuals were arrested by Indian police in Udhampur after their vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint. Authorities have not disclosed the grounds for the arrests, raising concerns of arbitrary detention.
The surge in military activity comes amid continued enforcement of draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which allow prolonged detention without trial. Rights groups say these laws are routinely used to silence dissent and suppress political opposition.
According to a new report by Kashmir Media Service, the people of Kashmir remain subjected to systematic rights violations, including massacres, enforced disappearances, custodial deaths, and fake encounters. The report underscores that justice has yet to be delivered to victims of infamous massacres in Gaw Kadal, Sopore, Bijbehara, and other areas, with not a single Indian soldier or police officer held accountable.
Thousands of Kashmiris, including prominent resistance leaders, journalists, and human rights defenders, continue to languish in Indian prisons, many without formal charges or access to legal representation.
In a related development, the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) has condemned the recent deployment of 20,000 additional paramilitary personnel in the territory.
In a statement from Srinagar, a DFP spokesperson criticized the move as a “desperate attempt by the Modi regime to tighten military control and suppress the legitimate political aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”
“The continued militarization of the region under the false narrative of ‘normalcy’ only exposes New Delhi’s failure to pursue a peaceful and democratic resolution to the Kashmir dispute,” the statement said.
Human rights observers and international organizations have long called for independent investigations, judicial accountability, and demilitarization of the region. However, critics say the Indian government continues to prioritize security operations over dialogue, deepening the crisis in the disputed territory.
