Paris Protest Challenges Pakistan's Military Narrative on Defence Day

A Paris gathering on Pakistan's Defence Day questioned the country's military narrative, accusing the Pakistan Army of human-rights abuses affecting Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The event, organized by the Dissident Club, featured speakers from 12 countries calling for international investigations into alleged military violations.

At an international gathering in Paris held on Pakistan's Defence Day, participants challenged the country's official military narrative, accusing the Pakistan Army of human-rights abuses and policies contributing to instability in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Afghanistan, and Pakistan itself. The event, organized by exiled Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui's Dissident Club, took place outside the Pakistan Embassy in Paris, attracting representatives from 12 countries, including France, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, and the United States.

The event was intentionally timed for September 6, coinciding with Pakistan's commemoration of Defence Day, which celebrates the country's armed forces and the 1965 war. During the Paris gathering, speakers presented an alternative view of the Pakistani military's record, focusing on allegations of enforced disappearances, collective punishment, proxy violence, and various human-rights violations.

Afghani and Pakistani speakers discussed military operations and policies they believe have fostered insecurity and political instability. Indian participants highlighted the civilian toll from prolonged conflicts and alleged military support for armed groups. The meeting included testimonies and discussions, with attendees urging international bodies to conduct independent investigations into the allegations against the Pakistani military, pressing European institutions, the United Nations, and global human-rights organizations to apply similar scrutiny as they do in cases involving other state forces.

Attention was also directed towards the situation of journalists, activists, and political critics allegedly pressured into exile due to their opposition to Pakistan's military. Organizers claimed that over 100 deaths in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and more than 500 civilian casualties in Afghanistan were attributed to the Pakistan Army this year, calling for international examination of these charges.