The Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), led by Chairman Altaf Hussain Wani, has urged the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to intervene over the reported attachment of ancestral properties in Kachama, Kupwara, under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
KIIR urges UN action over property seizure in Kupwara
ISLAMABAD, Sep 21 (APP):The Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), led by Chairman Altaf Hussain Wani, has urged the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to intervene over the reported attachment of ancestral properties in Kachama, Kupwara, under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
According to a press release received here on Monday, the appeal concerns around 15 kanals of land and residential properties belonging to Abdul Majid Qureshi and Parvaiz Ahmad Qureshi. Recent reports citing a Jammu and Kashmir Police order say the properties include 15 kanals and seven marlas of land and two houses and were attached in connection with FIR No. 276/2022 registered at Police Station Kupwara. Police documents reportedly describe the properties as alleged “proceeds of terrorism.”
KIIR, however, disputes the allegations and says the action raises serious human rights and due-process concerns. The institute alleges that Abdul Majid Qureshi fled to Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the late 1990s after facing harassment following the killing of his brother Mustafa Qureshi. It further alleges that Parvaiz Ahmad Qureshi, Mustafa Qureshi’s son, was detained and subjected to torture before relocating to AJK in 2018.
The institute said the property attachments raise concerns about arbitrary deprivation of property, collective punishment of displaced persons, possible misuse of counter-terrorism legislation and the lack of independent review.
KIIR has asked the OHCHR to investigate the circumstances and legality of the attachments, urge a suspension of enforcement pending an independent review, monitor the application of the UAPA in IIOJK, and facilitate access for independent human rights observers.
Wani said attaching the homes and assets of a refugee who, according to KIIR, fled persecution amounted to a serious injustice. He called for international action to protect fundamental rights and ensure accountability.
The institute said it was prepared to provide documents, witness statements and other material to OHCHR investigators. The OHCHR previously raised concerns about the UAPA’s compatibility with India’s international human rights obligations in a 2026 communication on another UAPA case.
