The issue of enforced disappearances in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has remained a persistent and deeply troubling human rights concern for more than three decades.

Many Kashmiris who questioned the legitimacy of Indian occupation of their state or else demanded the right to self-determination have been subjected to arrest, detention, or disappearance during security operations of Indian security forces. For thousands of families, the fate and whereabouts of their relatives remain unknown, making enforced disappearances as one of the most painful episode humanitarian issues in the occupied state. Over the years, thousands of individuals have disappeared during siege and search operations in IIOJK. The human rights advocates argue that these violations have serious legal implications associated with enforced disappearances. According to figures presented in India’s Parliament (Rajya Sabha), the number of reported missing persons in Jammu and Kashmir reached 7,151 in 2023, with 4,190 individuals still listed as untraced. Earlier data reflected a gradual increase in reported cases, including 5,824 in 2020, 6,486 in 2021, and 6,983 in 2022. In fact, categorizing these cases solely as missing persons overlooks the historical context of disappearances associated with decades ofsecurity operations in the region.Under international law, enforced........

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