security forces are the greatest amount of controversy. They
include revenge killings, summary executions and assassinations,
sexual molestation and rape, torture, and the deliberate torch
ing of homes, markets, and mosques.33 The Indian government
acknowledges the occurrence of most of these acts. However,
“debated is the frequency and allocation of principal responsibility for them among the Indian security forces, earnestness of
Indian government efforts to stop them, and how to account for
these criminal acts.”34 Thus, the distrust of the Kashmiri people
for the Indian security forces seems nearly complete; and the
Indian security forces unquestionably reciprocate these feelings,
creating a vicious cycle of violence and instability.
As a result, access to justice remains elusive in Kashmir. Access
to justice is limited by lack of confidence in the IJK judicial
system due to its inefficiency and corruption as well as the strict
adherence to the enactment of “emergency legislation” to control militancy and separatist activities in the region. Additionally, there is a massive backlog of writs of habeas corpus pending
in the IJK court system.35 Furthermore, laws on freedom of
assembly, speech, and religion are non-existent. Laws against
domestic violence are treated with similar indifference because
the focus of the Indian national government and security forces
is on maintaining security and control in the region and deterring Pakistan aggression along the LOC.
IJK Security Sector Reform Policy Recommendations
In the long term, stability and a rule of law depend on viable police, security forces, and justice structures. Hence, the
recommendations listed below focus on the ke H