On anti-torture day, PM Imran highlights Indian abuses in IOK as Bilawal advises 'looking inward'.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday called on the international community to hold India accountable for perpetrating human rights abuses and torture against the residents of India-occupied Kashmir.

In his message on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, observed on June 26, the premier noted that women, men and children living in occupied Kashmir have "faced pellet guns, sexual assault, electrocution, and physical and mental torture" at the hands of Indian forces.

He said these atrocities carried out "on orders of the Hindutva Supremacist Occupation Modi government" are well documented by the United Nations, human rights organisations and international media.

"A continuing silence in the face of such blatant abuse is against international human rights and humanitarian laws and must be unacceptable," the prime minister tweeted.

Soon after, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in a tweet highlighted the need to "look inward" in order to curb incidents of torture.

"It's easy to condemn police brutality around the world without looking inward," Bilawal wrote, apparently in response to the prime minister's statement.

"Criminalising torture is the first step towards ending this culture of impunity and bringing the perpetrators, whoever they may be, to account. Torture is criminal, make it a crime!" he added.

Both Pakistani and international law prohibit torture and other forms of abuse of prisoners. The country's Constitution also guarantees individual rights, including the right not to be tortured. But though the National Assembly has passed various statutes that outlaw police brutality and torture, there is no consolidated and comprehensive legislation specifically criminalising torture.

More on this: Outlawing torture

'Modi a psychopath'

Prime Minister Imran reiterated his criticism of India while speaking at an event to give cash handouts to people affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the helpless people of occupied Kashmir were facing unprecedented torture by India and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-inspired "extremist Modi government".

The premier said the 800,000 Indian army troops were inflicting torture on the Kashmiris "with a plan", adding that Modi's mindset had become clear with his role in the 2002 massacre of Muslims in Gujarat.

"He is not a normal man; he is a psychopath. He thinks of the Nazis as role models and that's why he thinks this way," he told the audience.

The prime...