The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said Indian forces in India-held Kashmir launched an operation against educational institutions in the disputed valley and have launched an “all out war on Kashmiri students”.

“They have attacked women education institutions as well. A dozen colleges have been attacked, injuring thousands of students - both boys and girls,” said the FO in its weekly briefing.

“Last week, Indian Home Minister claimed that Indian government will control the situation within a year and showed his determination to do with whatever it takes,” added the FO.

Nafees Zakaria, spokesperson at the FO, said harrowing stories from Indian-held Kashmir continue to raise concerns in Pakistan.

“Use of brute force against innocent Kashmiris, who refused to participate in the sham elections, cannot suppress their human urge of freedom.”

The FO further said that India has openly violated human rights in Kashmir and has displayed a complete disregard for the UN Charter, adding that recently leaked videos openly showing use of human shields and beatings by the “occupation forces, is a manifestation”.

Zakaria also mentioned the banning of social media in the held valley, and said the steps were taken by the Indian government to ensure that “reports of crimes against humanity committed by Indian occupation forces do not go out of IOK”.

Students hold protest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) resounded with anti-India slogans on Thursday, as hundreds of schoolchildren staged a demonstration to express solidarity with their contemporaries in India-held Kashmir.

Though majority of participants was drawn from the educational institutions in the camps of Kashmiri refugees but some state-run schools had also sent their students to take part in the demonstration.

“We condemn torture of Kashmiri students by Indian troops,” read one of the banners carried by the students.

Several placards reminded the United Nations of its seemingly forgotten obligations with regard to the longest pending item on its agenda – the Kashmir dispute.

“Go India, go back”, “We want freedom” chanted the participants.

They also vented anger at Indian premier Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh.

“Down with killer Modi, down with Rajnath,” they shouted.

In the latest surge of violence in India-held Kashmir, at least eight people were killed and more than two dozen injured on April 9, when police clashed with protesters during a by-election in Srinagar in India-held Kashmir.

Suspected separatist factions in Kashmir had called for a boycott of the vote, resulting in heightened security and low voter turnout when the polling began.