Islamabad:Chairman J and K People's Freedom League, Ex Convener All Parties Hurriyet Conference AJ and K Muhammad Farooq Rehmani has written letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutterus regarding the arbitrary demolition of property and violation of Housing Rights in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq Rehmani wrote 'I am writing to bring to your immediate attention a grave violation of fundamental human rights, international humanitarian norms, and the rule of law occurring in the UN-recognized disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. On October 6, 2026, state revenue and municipal authorities in the Baramulla-Sopore district carried out a demolition drive, deploying heavy machinery to dismantle residential and agricultural structures-specifically a dairy farm and associated quarters-belonging to the family of the late Mohammad Afzal Guru, currently occupied by his widow, Tabassum Guru, and her family.

Farooq Rehmani wrote 'While the local administration has claimed that these structures were "unauthorized" constructions on state-owned flood-basin land, the circumstances, selective timing, and enforcement mechanisms point toward a deeply concerning pattern of punitive "bulldozer justice" and collective punishment targeted against the relatives of political dissidents'.

Farooq Rehmani wrote this action directly contravenes several international human rights instruments to which the international community is bound:

1. Violation of Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): Which explicitly mandates that "Everyone has the right to own property" and that "No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property."

2. Violation of Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR): Which recognizes the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing, and housing. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has repeatedly emphasized that forced evictions are prima facie incompatible with the requirements of the Covenant.

3. Collective Punishment: Punishing the living relatives or descendants of an executed individual for alleged legal infractions is an explicit violation of international legal jurisprudence prohibiting collective penalties.

International watchdogs, including [Amnesty International](https://www.amnesty.org), have previously documented and condemned the structural deployment of demolitions against minority communities and families of political actors in the region as a tool of unlawful state intimidation. The complete absence of transparent legal recourse, adequate prior notice, or alternative housing provision before rendering citizens homeless or depriving them of their livelihoods demands international scrutiny.

Farooq Rehmani wrote we urgently request the intervention of your office, alongside the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, to:

Call upon the Government of India to immediately halt the practice of punitive property demolitions and forced evictions without strict judicial due process.

Demand an independent inquiry into the selective targeting of properties belonging to political workers and their families in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ensure the protection, rehabilitation, and compensation of families displaced or financially devastated by these unchecked administrative actions.

Farooq Rehmani wrote 'Finally but most importantly, your Excellency is requested to take note of the root cause of the lingering Kashmir dispute of the region taking necessary steps to resolve it peacefully in line with the relevant UN resolutions so that the subcontinent became a zone of peace and prosperity for all the communities of our region.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this pressing humanitarian matter'.