At the United Nations Pakistan says the dire situation of the missing persons' conflict zones, occupied territories from Palestine to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir demands urgent action to account for every missing person, restore family connections, and uphold the fundamental rights of those lost in the chaos of conflict.

This was stated by Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, in a national statement during the UN Security Council briefing on the implementation of the Resolution 2474, which addresses the critical issue of missing persons in armed conflict.

He said India used the pretext of the recent terrorist incident to round up more than 2,000 people with a view to further suppress Kashmiris' struggle for their legitimate right to self-determination.

He said unmarked and unknown graves of thousands of victims have surfaced in recent years in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He pointed out that from the investigations held so far, it has been revealed that these victims are first disappeared by Indian occupation forces and then tortured to death or summarily executed.

Ambassador Asim said that missing persons and enforced disappearances is a grim and undeniable reality of the nearly eight-decade-old Kashmir conflict.

He said despite calls for investigations and accountability, the plight of missing persons continues to exacerbate in IIOJK.

He said the issue of missing persons is a symptom of unresolved conflicts, which need to be addressed.