Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has strongly condemned the sentencing of Kashmiri leader Asiya Andrabi and two other women activists by an Indian court, calling it a grave miscarriage of justice and part of a wider campaign to silence dissent in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In its statement, the FO rejected the life imprisonment handed to Andrabi and the 30-year sentences given to her associates, Fehmeeda Sofi and Nahida Nasreen, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The verdict was delivered by a specially designated court in Delhi, which convicted the three women earlier this year on charges of conspiracy and waging war against the state.
Andrabi, founder of the banned rights group Dukhtaran-i-Millat (Daughters of the Nation), was arrested in 2018 by India’s National Investigation Agency. Pakistan emphasized that her conviction reflects the shrinking space for political expression and the erosion of civil liberties in the occupied territory.
The FO expressed deep concerns over the lack of due process, judicial independence, and adherence to international human rights obligations, warning that such actions undermine the rule of law and risk escalating tensions in South Asia.
Highlighting Andrabi’s long-standing role as a vocal advocate for Kashmir’s cause, Pakistan urged the United Nations and global human rights organizations to take immediate notice of the development and hold India accountable for its actions in IIOJK.
The statement reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s struggle for self-determination, in line with UN Security Council resolutions, and called for the protection of their political, social, and human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and a fair trial.
