Brussels [Belgium], Jan 4 (ANI): The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) has expressed grave concern on profiling of nationalist political workers and leaders in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by the local authorities.

The party said it has learned that secret service of the so-called government of Azad Kashmir has directed deputy commissioners of all districts to collect the source of income, party affiliation, marital status, family and tribe information and other details. It also said to have learned that the secret service is maintaining personal files of all such activists and leaders to pressurise them.

Exiled chairman of UKPNP Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, Central spokesperson Nasir Aziz Khan, Central Secretary Foreign Affairs Committee Jamil Maqsood, president of Foreign Affairs Committee Shabir Chaudhry, Secretary International Coordination Zahid Hussain, president of UKPNP-Europe Zone Amjad Yousaf and Asif Abbas, General Secretary of UKPNP - Europe Zone, unanimously rejected malicious designs of the local authorities to conduct political profiling and collect personal data to use against nationalist political workers.

"This kind of tactics couldn't stop our peaceful endeavour to unify erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of the fundamental human rights in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan. The United Kashmir People's National Party would raise this issue at all international forums including the forthcoming regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva," read an official statement from the party.

A notice, dated January 1, issued by the Office of SP, Special Branch, Muzaffarabad directed Area Officers of Special Branches of all districts to "collect either yourself or the subordinate staff of special branch in your district...information about all office bearers and prominent leaders of nationalist parties residing/settled in your districts."

The notice also highlights the areas in which information needs to be collected, including, "Name, father's name, address, nationality (caste or baraderie), identity card, pictures, religious and political association, mobile phone number, marital status, occupation, education, source of income/livelihood, active since when and from the platform of which party, what have been the main activities? Associated with which party now? Who does interact with and which personalities has been influenced by? Where does travel in the foreign countries and which people/parties has in contact with?"

Furthermore, underscoring urgency, the Office of SP has asked all the officials concerned to "prepare a separate file of all the prominent nationalists containing profiling and complete record and keep one copy for yourself and send one to this office within 5 days." (ANI)

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