Addressing a UN Security Council briefing, Iftikhar criticised what he described as India’s efforts to silence the Kashmiri people’s decades-long demand for the right to self-determination. He emphasised that the issue of missing persons is especially dire in territories under occupation, citing both Palestine and Kashmir as prime examples.
“Missing persons are more than just statistics — they are real people whose sudden disappearances tear families apart,” said Iftikhar. “These are fathers who never returned home, mothers separated from their children, and sons and daughters lost without a trace. Each disappearance leaves a lasting scar.”
He underscored that enforced disappearances have been a persistent and painful part of the Kashmir conflict, which has stretched on for nearly 80 years. According to Iftikhar, unmarked mass graves continue to surface across Indian-held Kashmir, raising troubling questions about the fate of thousands who have vanished.
Quoting reports from human rights organisations such as the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, he alleged that many of the missing were first detained by Indian security forces, subjected to torture, and later executed without due process.
Iftikhar also referred to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports from 2018 and 2019, which recommended independent and impartial investigations into the more than 7,000 unmarked graves discovered in the region.
. He warned that the situation has worsened following India’s revocation of Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in August 2019.
“In the aftermath of those actions, thousands of young boys were detained — many of whom remain missing to this day,” he said. “Recent security operations are being used as a pretext to round up more civilians and intensify the repression.”
Iftikhar called on all parties in conflict zones to strictly adhere to international humanitarian law, ensure civilian protection, and pursue accountability for rights violations. He urged UN member states to enhance cooperation in tracing missing persons through legal channels and information sharing.
“Only through coordinated international efforts can we hope to address this grave and growing challenge,” he concluded.