International Committee for Political Prisoners – JKA

The International Committe for Political Prisoners – JKA began working on the 20th July 2025 after an All Parties Conference in Kotli city AJK a day earlier, involving 15 different public and political entities operating in the territory.

International Law (Aspiring for a global rules-based ethically responsible order, applicable without exclusion or favour towards any political entity anywhere in the world):

It believes that under international law no country outside the territory of Jammu Kashmir & Allied (areas) or JKA has a sovereign right to administer any part of this territory, without the express will of the people who have inherited this territory from an hitherto autocratic local governing structure in 1947, operating under the suzerainty of the British colonial empire.

Background:

None of the countries – openly or tacitly – making a claim to this territory since 1947, have taken the initiative to ascertain that express will of the people referenced above.

Over the decades since 1947, many an inhabitant and inheritor has faced the ire of these claimants for expressing their will; facing torture, socio-economic ostracism, imprisonment, exile and even death in certain cases.

Present (Now):

In the face of a rapidly engulfing public political awakening in the territories of ‘Azad’ Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) – especially since 2019 – there has been a distinct increase in targeting of public activists adopting strictly peaceful means of expressing their will on their immediate present and future, in both AJK and GB.

We have thus decided to centralise the documentation in a real-time and sustainable manner, of these illegal attempts to silence the very legal basis of these aforementioned countries, to justify their sovereign claims over JKA.

Structure of Database:

This online database will provide a snapshot table (in as real-time as possible) of how many aspiring citizens of AJK, Gilgit Baltistan, Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh have been imprisoned or abducted; with dedicated statistics for each region.

This will be followed by a profile by profile explanation of the circumstances and status of each detainee.

Shape of the International Committee:

1. A main body of activists (eventually numbering over a 100 members with both local and diaspora representation) representing each and every socio-political organisation in the whole of JKA, in the pursuit of representative character and inclusion of all strands of socio-political thought.

   They will work with an aim to keep the whole public briefed about the ongoing activities of the ‘International Committee for Political Prisoners – JKA’ and also monitor the performance of the working committee (described below) while providing suggestions and feedback from the public.

2. A much smaller ‘Working Body’ that will gradually include representation in an equitable manner from each administrative part of the whole territory, including a quota for the diaspora.

   To date (2050hrs on Wednesday the 23rd of July 2025) we have 4 members actively working on securing the freedom of such detainees, updating the online database, liaising with the diaspora and local to regional to global level entities and institutions.

   • Quayyum Raja – district Kotli division Mirpur (AJK)

   • Nasir Sarwar – district & division Poonch (AJK)

   • Dr Liaqat – district Kotli division Mirpur (AJK)

   • Tanveer Ahmed – district Kotli division Mirpur (AJK)

   • Baba Jan – district Hunza division Gilgit (GB)
   • Nishar Shah Advocate – district & division Poonch (AJK)

The shape of the ‘Working Committee’ will eventually have scope for a maximum of 9 people from each of the regions of AJK, GB, Jammu, the Kashmir Valley & Ladakh; to ensure equity in inclusion and avoid marginalisation in any matter of public interest.