ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) principal human rights organ recently condemned international media reports of rising Islamophobia and “targeted reprisal attacks” against Muslims in various parts of India, following a militant attack in Kashmir last month. 

International news organizations have reported Kashmiri Muslim vendors and students in Indian cities have faced harassment, vilification and threats from right-wing groups following an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22 that killed 26 tourists. Survivors of the attack have said militants specifically targeted Hindu men in the attack on Pahalgam town, sparking anger and grief in India. 

India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack, an allegation that Islamabad denies. India, facing a decades-long insurgency in Muslim-majority Kashmir, accuses Pakistan of arming militant organizations in the region. Islamabad has always denied the accusations but has vowed to diplomatically support the people of Kashmir. 

The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in full by India and Pakistan. However, the nuclear-armed nations administer only parts of it. 

“The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expresses profound concern and condemnation regarding disturbing reports from international media which suggested an increase in hate speech, targeted reprisal attacks, and acts of violence both online and offline, against Muslims in various parts of India, as well as Kashmiri Muslims in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK),” the IPHRC said on its website on Saturday. 

It said the incidents targeting Muslims appear to be “fueled by far-right Hindu nationalist groups” which accuse Muslims of being involved in the Apr. 22 attack targeting tourists in Pahalgam. The OIC body expressed grief over the loss of civilian lives in the Pahalgam incident, but reaffirmed that reprisal attacks against innocent civilians are “violations of human rights and human dignity.”

“As such, the Commission calls for a prompt and impartial investigation into the incident and urges all to respect the sanctity of human life and ensure the protection of civilians at all times,” it added. 

The IPHRC urged India to fulfill its obligations under international human rights law and ensure the safety and security of Muslim communities by implementing “concrete measures” at all levels. 

“The Commission also calls on the international community, United Nations human rights mechanisms including Special Procedures, to closely monitor the situation and take necessary actions to protect the rights and dignity of Muslims in India,” it said. 

The OIC body reiterated its call for the establishment of an international fact-finding mission or Commission of Inquiry under the UN to investigate rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir and independently verify and report on the rights situation.

It called on the UN and the international community to press India to abide by the relevant UN Security Council and OIC resolutions on Kashmir, refrain from any administrative and legislative measures that would “alter the geographical and demographic status” of Indian-administered Kashmir, release all political prisoners and “repeal discriminatory laws.” 

The Pahalgam attack and India’s subsequent allegations have triggered a surge in its tensions with Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers “to the ends of the earth,” with fears that India may carry out limited airstrikes or special forces raids near the border with Pakistan.

A Pakistani minister said last week Islamabad had “credible intelligence” that India was planning to attack Pakistan. Pakistan’s military and government have vowed that a “strong” response will be given to India if it launches military action. 

JAMMU: In the skies above the bunkers where Indian and Pakistani soldiers trade gunfire, masters of an ancient sport beloved on both sides seek to snatch prized pigeons from the other.
Indian breeder Pyara Singh spends his days trying to lure Pakistani birds from across the Himalayan valley, and guard against rivals wooing his flock.
“We get pigeons from Pakistan — we catch them,” said 33-year-old Singh, watching as some of his feathered favorites twisted like jets overhead. “We also often lose our pigeons to them.”
An attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that New Delhi blames on Islamabad has sparked fears of renewed conflict between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals.
Pakistan insists it was not involved in the April 22 killings of 26 mainly Hindu men but Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to respond.
Like every night since April 26, India’s army said Monday that its troops had exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers overnight across the de facto frontier in contested Kashmir.


Pigeon fanciers across the divide can’t meet face-to-face, but share the same passion. Breeders say the top birds can be worth hundreds of dollars.
The skill of “kabutar-baazi” pigeon flying stretches back centuries, straddling a border created at the violent end of British imperial rule in 1947.
Singh, sitting with his 100-strong flock on the roof of his home in the village of Pangali, said it was “it is an old art.”
Keepers guide the flight of their flocks with whistles to provide a swirling spectacle.
Others race them, timing their flight home, or simply find peace in their graceful colorations and gentle coos.
But Indian keepers like Singh say their Pakistani counterparts rear “better and stronger” birds, explaining the buzz in catching their pigeons.
“They are a treasured possession,” said Aarav KHajjuria, from Sainth, another frontline Indian village.
He proudly showed his flock of 29 birds — three of which are from Pakistan.
“Our pigeons also fly there,” he said. “Two of my pigeons went.”
The teenager started breeding pigeons four years ago after watching another local fancier catch a bird.
“I was fascinated,” KHajjuria added. “I now spend time on the roof, both immediately before and after I return from school.”
But he is most proud of his Pakistani captives.
“I lured them after they’d strayed across,” he said, pointing to a nearby row of trees that mark the border.
Pakistani pigeons “are better because they’re bred better and fly longer durations in a competition,” KHajjuria said.
Keepers say capturing a pigeon is a skill, using water, grain and their own flock to lure the stray bird into the fold.
Once the bird lands, they immediately clip some feathers to stop them flying. While they grow back, the bird builds a bond with the new flock.


Fanciers fix leg rings with contact details to the animals.
“If we catch a bird that belongs to someone from the nearby villages, and we know them, we call them and hand it back,” Singh said, hand on his heart.
Birds from Pakistan are a different matter.
“Given the overall situation, and the risks involved, no one calls if the bird is from the other side,” he said.
“We don’t want any issues in the future, and allegations that as an Indian we were contacting Pakistanis.”
In fact, fanciers say that police are wary Pakistani pigeons might be carrying messages.
Indian police have in recent years “detained” several suspected of being enemy carrier pigeons, with some jailbirds accused of having Pakistani links, others Chinese.
“The Pakistani side often marks their pigeons with ink stamps, names, or rings — but beyond that, we haven’t seen anything suspicious yet,” Singh said.
“We inform the army if we come across such a pigeon, but so far, we haven’t caught any with a camera,” he joked.
Singh says he worries that the nightly gunfire will escalate.
“Ideally there shouldn’t be a war,” he said, but said the April 22 attack was “so wrong that it can’t be left unanswered.”
But he is confident nothing will stop his pigeons flying free.
“The border is not for the bird,” he said.
“No army or fence could stop them. How could you? Our pigeons go there, and theirs often cross into India.”