PoJK activist Sajjad Raja calls for release of activists detained by Pakistani defence forces

Professor Sajjad Raja, former Chairman of the National Equality Party Jammu Kashmir Gilgit Baltistan and Ladakh (NEP JKGBL), expressed deep concern on Wednesday over the continued detention of Kashmiri activists arrested during the four-day long Muzzafarabad protests in May this year.

In a social media post, Raja highlighted the plight of activists detained by the “illegal government of Pakistan-occupied Jammu And Kashmir and Pakistan Army,” emphasising that their whereabouts remain unknown and they have been denied legal aid.

“In #POJK the illegal government of #Pakistani Occupied Jammu And Kashmir and Pakistan Army have illegally and unconstitutionally detained peaceful political workers, their whereabouts is known to nobody and no legal aid is allowed to reach them. This is yet another proof that there are no fundamental freedoms and basic human rights available to the people of POJK. UN and the world community should take notice of this flagrant violation of international conventions which Pakistan has signed,” read a post on X.

He condemned these actions as a clear violation of fundamental freedoms and basic human rights guaranteed by international conventions, which Pakistan is a signatory to.

Raja declared, “This Eid ul Adha must be dedicated to the activists who have been forcefully detained for advocating the rights of the people of PoJK. They bravely faced imprisonment while peacefully demanding public rights. They have been captured because they demanded the rights of the people and were detained by the authorities for trying to live respectfully.”

He identified those detained by the Pakistani administration, including Sardar Aman Khan, Shabir Khan, Talha Advocate, Shakil Advocate, Majid Baloch, Murtzah Kashmiri, Mauhaumad Sajid, Saad Ansari Advocate, Raja Danish Advocate, and Javad Dil Baseed. Raja underscored the solidarity of the PoJK public with these activists, stressing their shared struggle for subsidies, infrastructure development, and other community issues.

“We stand united with our activists in the ongoing fight against oppression,” Raja affirmed, urging continuous international attention and support for their cause.