India’s 61-run demolition of Pakistan in Colombo exposes systematic flaws in team selection, tactical nous, and leadership under Salman Agha

When Salman Agha won the toss and elected to bowl first under the Colombo floodlights on Sunday evening, few could have predicted the scale of Pakistan’s capitulation that would follow. India’s comprehensive 61-run victory—their eighth win in nine T20 World Cup encounters against their arch-rivals—was not merely a defeat. It was an autopsy of Pakistan cricket’s endemic problems: mystifying team selections, baffling tactical decisions, and a captaincy that appears chronically underprepared for the intensity of India-Pakistan clashes.

The scoreline tells part of the story. India posted 175/7 in their 20 overs, with Ishan Kishan’s blistering 77 off 40 balls serving as the cornerstone. In response, Pakistan crumbled to 114 all out in just 18 overs, their batting lineup disintegrating like a sandcastle before the tide. But the numbers alone cannot capture the deeper malaise—the inexplicable decision-making that has become a hallmark of Pakistan’s recent tournament play.

The Toss That Lost the Match

Salman Agha won the toss and decided to bowl first on what he described as a “tacky” surface, believing it would assist bowlers in the early overs. The logic appeared sound on paper: exploit early movement, restrict India to a manageable total, and chase under lights as the pitch improved. India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, by contrast, indicated they would have batted first anyway, expecting the pitch to slow down enough to counter any dew advantage later.

The decision proved catastrophic. On spin-friendly Colombo tracks that historically become harder to bat on as matches progress, Pakistan handed India first use of the surface. As events unfolded, 175 became the highest score in India-Pakistan T20 World Cup history—hardly the restricted total Agha had envisioned. Worse, when Pakistan batted, the pitch offered turn and variable bounce that rendered strokeplay treacherous.

The toss decision encapsulated a broader failure of match awareness. Senior analysts on ESPN Cricinfo noted that if pitches are tacky to begin with, they tend to get better as temperatures drop at night—precisely the opposite of Agha’s reasoning. This fundamental misreading of conditions set the tone for what followed.

The Selection Mysteries: Fakhar, Naseem, and Nafay

Perhaps nothing better illustrates Pakistan’s rudderless approach than the team selection. Three players with proven credentials against India—or specific skills suited to Colombo conditions—were inexplicably relegated to the bench.

Fakhar Zaman, one of Pakistan’s most destructive limited-overs batsmen, watched from the sidelines despite his storied history against India. Fakhar has played 117 T20Is, scoring 2,385 runs at a strike rate of 130.75, and his 2017 Champions Trophy century against India remains one of Pakistan cricket’s defining moments. His aggressive batting style and ability to play pace and spin with equal fluency made him an obvious selection for the high-pressure cauldron of an India clash. Yet the team management persisted with Babar Azam at number four—a batsman who managed just 5 runs off 7 balls before being bowled by Axar Patel and whose recent form against India has been woeful.

Naseem Shah, the young pace sensation who has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to extract bounce and movement even from docile surfaces, was another puzzling omission. While Pakistan’s squad featured Naseem as a key pace option alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, the playing XI instead deployed Faheem Ashraf—a bowler whose international returns have been modest at best. Naseem’s pace and ability to hit the deck hard would have provided the ideal counterpoint to India’s aggressive openers, particularly on a pitch offering assistance to quicker bowlers in the early overs.

Khawaja Nafay, named in the 15-man squad as a wicketkeeper-batsman option, similarly failed to make the cut. His exclusion was particularly glaring given Pakistan’s top-order fragility and the presence of two specialist wicketkeepers (Usman Khan and Sahibzada Farhan) in the lineup already.

The cumulative effect was a team that looked ill-equipped for the challenge, lacking both firepower and balance.

Spinner Overload: Too Many Cooks

If the batting order selections raised eyebrows, Pakistan’s bowling composition bordered on the incomprehensible. The team fielded a staggering array of spin options: Saim Ayub (part-time left-arm orthodox), Abrar Ahmed (leg-spinner/googly specialist), Shadab Khan (leg-spinner), Mohammad Nawaz (left-arm orthodox), Usman Tariq (mystery spinner), and captain Salman Agha himself (off-spinner).

Six spin options in a T20 match. The redundancy was staggering.

To make matters worse, Pakistan bowled five overs of spin in the powerplay alone—only the 13th time in T20 World Cup history that a fifth spin over has been bowled inside a powerplay. While the Colombo surface offered turn, this approach played directly into India’s hands. Kishan, a devastatingly effective player of spin, feasted on the lack of variety. Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi combined to concede 86 runs in six overs—a hemorrhaging of runs that effectively ended the contest as a spectacle.

The tactical poverty was evident in specific passages of play. Pakistan bowled Shadab Khan to two left-handed batters and brought Abrar Ahmed back despite him having a “stinker” of a night. In the death overs, rather than employing spin to squeeze India, Shaheen Shah Afridi was brought back for the final over and plundered for 16 runs, allowing India to surge past 175.

The spinner overload wasn’t merely a tactical misstep—it revealed a captain uncertain of his resources and unwilling to commit to a coherent plan.

The Batting Order Blunder: Agha Before Babar

Among the more peculiar decisions was the batting order itself. Salman Agha, the captain and an all-rounder by trade, was promoted to number three—ahead of Babar Azam, Pakistan’s most accomplished batsman.Even players like Mohammad Haris , Mohammad Rizwan ,Minhas were not picked for the squad , It is big blunder made by Aquib Javed and others who slected the squad . Pakistan team did not select the aggressive players like Abdul Samad and already wasted talented Asif Ali and Irfan Khan Niazi . There was none who could hit six to shift the pressure and speed up momentum . The chequred history of defeats against India in world cup still hounds and same happened today .Will anybody take the responsibility of poor selection and worst captaincy to step down and fix the issues . Even the smaller and new teams like,Afghanistan ,USA , Italy , Zimbabwe performed well and gave tough time to opponents . When will they learn the lesson . They prove to be a wall of Sand against India in world cup encounters disappointed and hurting the feelinhs and dreams of the fans .

The rationale is unclear. Agha’s T20 record is respectable but hardly stellar; his primary value lies in his ability to bowl tidy off-spin and provide lower-order impetus. Elevating him above Babar—who, despite recent struggles, remains Pakistan’s premier accumulator—suggested either a crisis of confidence in Babar or a fundamental misunderstanding of optimal batting orders.

When Pakistan’s chase began, the decision’s folly became immediately apparent. Hardik Pandya dismissed Sahibzada Farhan for a duck in his first over, and Jasprit Bumrah then removed both Saim Ayub and Salman Agha in quick succession. Pakistan found themselves at 13 for 3 within two overs, with their captain having contributed a meager 4 runs. Babar entered at the fall of the third wicket and lasted just 16 balls before departing for 5, caught between the need for consolidation and the mounting run rate.

The structural flaw was glaring: by promoting Agha, Pakistan had effectively wasted a top-order slot. Had Babar batted at three or as opener—his natural positions—he might have anchored the innings through the powerplay carnage. Instead, Pakistan’s best batsman arrived with the game already slipping away, the asking rate climbing, and pressure mounting exponentially.Pakistan failed to dominate both the pace and Spin attack of India .

Kishan’s Masterclass and India’s Clinical Execution

To credit Pakistan’s failings alone would be to diminish India’s superlative performance. Ishan Kishan’s 77 off 40 balls, featuring 10 fours and 3 sixes, set the template for an innings of controlled aggression. Kishan’s ability to dominate Pakistan’s spin-heavy attack—particularly his audacious strokeplay against Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz—showcased the chasm in class and preparation between the two sides.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav contributed 32 off 29 balls, while Shivam Dube’s 27 off 17 deliveries and Tilak Varma’s 25 off 24 balls provided crucial support. India’s depth allowed them to absorb the twin blows of Abhishek Sharma’s early dismissal and Hardik Pandya’s duck, building partnerships and accelerating at will.

With the ball, India were relentless. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah shared three early wickets, reducing Pakistan to 38/4 at the end of the powerplay. Axar Patel claimed two crucial scalps, including Babar Azam, while Varun Chakaravarthy’s 2 for 17 included back-to-back dismissals of Faheem Ashraf and Abrar Ahmed. The variety and precision of India’s attack—three seamers, three spinners, all delivering match-winning spells—stood in stark contrast to Pakistan’s scattergun approach.

A Pattern of Captaincy Failures

Salman Agha’s tenure as Pakistan captain has been brief, but the India match crystallized a troubling pattern. This was not an isolated aberration but rather symptomatic of deeper issues within Pakistan cricket: reactive rather than proactive thinking, selection driven by sentiment rather than form, and tactical naivety at crucial junctures.

Former Pakistan cricketers have been scathing. Ahead of the match, Rashid Latif, Mohammad Amir, and Ahmed Shehzad openly questioned Babar’s continued place in the team, highlighting concerns about his strike rate and diminishing returns in high-pressure games. Their prophecies proved prescient: Babar’s failure was emblematic of a team trapped between nostalgia for past glories and the brutal demands of modern T20 cricket.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s instability has not helped. Frequent changes in leadership, coaching staff, and selection philosophy have created an environment where mediocrity is tolerated and accountability is scarce. This instability trickles down to team selection and on-field strategy, producing the kind of rudderless performance witnessed in Colombo.

What Now for Pakistan?

Pakistan’s path to the Super Eight stage remains viable but fraught with peril. They must now beat Namibia in their final group game to secure progression, a task that should be straightforward but, given recent form, carries no guarantees.

Beyond results, however, Pakistan faces deeper questions. Can Salman Agha learn from this debacle and impose a coherent tactical identity? Will the selectors have the courage to drop underperforming big names like Babar in favor of form players like Fakhar? And can the PCB provide the stability necessary for long-term planning rather than lurching from crisis to crisis?

The answers will define not only this tournament but Pakistan cricket’s trajectory for years to come. For now, the evidence suggests a team—and a system—in disarray.

Key Takeaways

• Toss Blunder: Pakistan’s decision to bowl first on a pitch that would deteriorate backfired spectacularly
• Selection Errors: Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, and Khawaja Nafay inexplicably benched despite strong credentials
• Spinner Overload: Six spin options diluted Pakistan’s bowling attack, allowing India to dominate
• Batting Order Chaos: Salman Agha promoted above Babar Azam defied logic and wasted a top-order slot
• Systemic Issues: PCB instability and lack of accountability continue to undermine team performance

Match Summary:
India 175/7 (20 overs) – Ishan Kishan 77 (40), Suryakumar Yadav 32 (29); Saim Ayub 3/25
Pakistan 114 (18 overs) – Usman Khan 44 (34); Hardik Pandya 2/16, Jasprit Bumrah 2/17, Varun Chakaravarthy 2/17
Result: India won by 61 runs

About the Match: The encounter at R. Premadasa Stadium marked India’s eighth win over Pakistan in nine T20 World Cup meetings, reinforcing their psychological dominance in cricket’s most-watched rivalry. The result secured India’s passage to the Super Eight stage while leaving Pakistan’s campaign hanging by a thread.

Dhaka — Vote counting is underway across Bangladesh following the close of polls at 4:30 PM Bangladesh Time on Thursday, with early trends showing the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) pulling ahead in what observers are calling the nation’s first genuinely competitive election in nearly two decades. The landmark vote, which drew approximately 48 percent of the country’s 127 million eligible voters, marks a dramatic turning point for South Asia’s eighth most populous nation, 18 months after a student-led uprising toppled longtime autocrat Sheikh Hasina.

As of late Thursday evening, initial counts indicate BNP leading in 24 constituencies and having secured at least five seats outright, while the 11-party coalition led by Jamaat-e-Islami shows strength in 12 seats with two victories confirmed, according to reports from multiple news outlets citing Election Commission sources. The BNP alliance holds a narrow but significant edge with a 48.1 percent vote share compared to Jamaat’s 45 percent, setting the stage for what could be Bangladesh’s most consequential government formation since independence.

Key Facts at a Glance:

• Voter Turnout: 47.91% (by 2 PM), approximately 61 million voters
• Eligible Voters: 127.7 million (including 15 million overseas workers via postal ballot)
• Constituencies: 299 (one postponed due to candidate death)
• Main Contenders: BNP (led by Tarique Rahman) vs. 11-party Jamaat coalition (led by Shafiqur Rahman)
• Early Trends: BNP leading in 24 seats (5 won), Jamaat coalition in 12 seats (2 won)
• Vote Share: BNP 48.1%, Jamaat coalition 45%
• Youth Voters: 56 million (44% of electorate) aged 18-37
• International Observers: ~500 from 45 countries, including EU and Commonwealth missions
• Concurrent Referendum: July National Charter (84-point constitutional reform package)

A Nation Votes for Change

The atmosphere at polling stations across Bangladesh was notably festive, a stark contrast to the stage-managed elections that characterized Hasina’s 15-year authoritarian grip on power. First-time voters compared the experience to “Eid,” Bangladesh’s most celebrated holiday, while seasoned citizens spoke emotionally about exercising their democratic rights after years of disenfranchisement.

“I want this country to prosper,” Jainab Lutfun Naher, a voter from Dhaka’s upscale Gulshan area, told Al Jazeera after casting her ballot. “I want it to be democratic, where everyone has rights and freedom.”

The election represents more than a simple transfer of power. Alongside choosing 300 members of parliament across 299 constituencies—one seat was postponed following a candidate’s death—voters simultaneously participated in a constitutional referendum on the July National Charter, an ambitious 84-point reform package that proposes fundamental changes including prime ministerial term limits, a bicameral legislature, and enhanced judicial independence.

BNP’s Tarique Rahman Emerges as Frontrunner

Tarique Rahman, the 59-year-old chairman of the BNP and son of late Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, appears positioned to become Bangladesh’s next prime minister based on early vote counts. Rahman himself is leading comfortably in both constituencies he contested—receiving 60,215 votes in Dhaka-17 and 37,465 in Bogura-6 when last reports emerged.

The political scion, who returned from 17 years of exile in London last December, has campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption, economic revival, and restoring the rule of law. His manifesto includes providing financial assistance to poor families through a “Family Card” system, recruiting 100,000 healthcare workers predominantly from women, and implementing a decade-long cap on prime ministerial tenure—a direct response to Hasina’s extended autocracy.

“There is a clear and huge difference between BNP and the rival political party,” declared BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin at a press briefing in Dhaka, describing the party’s victory as “inevitable.”

The BNP’s resurgence represents a dramatic reversal of fortune. In the 2018 election—widely condemned as neither free nor fair by international observers—the party was reduced to just seven seats as thousands of its leaders faced arrest. The 2024 election saw another BNP boycott amid what the party termed systematic repression.

Jamaat Coalition’s Surprising Strength

While trailing the BNP in overall numbers, the performance of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition has exceeded many expectations, particularly given the Islamist party’s tumultuous recent history. Banned from electoral politics in 2015 under Hasina’s government and prohibited from the 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections, Jamaat has emerged as a formidable force under the leadership of 67-year-old Shafiqur Rahman.

The coalition’s strength lies partly in its partnership with the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student leaders who spearheaded the 2024 uprising that ousted Hasina. This alliance has proven particularly effective in attracting younger voters disillusioned with traditional political establishments.

“It is a turning point,” Shafiqur Rahman told reporters after casting his vote. “People demand change. They desire change. We also desire the change.”

Speaking at a later press briefing at Jamaat’s Moghbazar office, Rahman pledged to accept the election results unconditionally “regardless of others,” while cautioning against premature victory claims. The Jamaat leader noted that while initial trends showed his coalition leading in some areas, full clarity would not emerge until around 11 PM Thursday.

Jamaat’s campaign has emphasized justice, ending corruption, and presenting the party as a modernized political force despite its conservative Islamic ideology. Some political analysts suggest the party has benefited from former Awami League supporters who view it as a “lesser of two evils” compared to the BNP, which has taken a more punitive stance toward Hasina loyalists at the local level.

Youth Power Reshapes Bangladesh Politics

Perhaps the most significant factor in this election is the unprecedented role of young voters. Approximately 56 million voters—44 percent of the electorate—are between ages 18 and 37, with nearly five million casting ballots for the first time. This demographic bulge represents both a generational shift and a direct political legacy of the 2024 uprising, which saw hundreds of young protesters killed by security forces acting on Hasina’s orders.

The election has been described by observers as the world’s first “Gen Z-inspired” vote, reflecting how youth-led movements globally are translating street activism into electoral politics. The National Citizen Party embodies this transition most clearly, with leaders like Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud—both prominent in the 2024 protests—now contesting parliamentary seats.

“I was registered to vote in the last two elections but couldn’t cast my ballot. This is my first time voting,” said Asif Mahmud after casting his vote in Dhaka. “For nearly 40 million young voters like me, this is a new experience.”

Economic anxieties drive much of this youth engagement. Bangladesh’s youth unemployment rate stood at 4.48 percent in 2024, with a staggering 87 percent of the unemployed being educated, including 21 percent with university degrees. A 2024 study found that 55 percent of Bangladeshi youth wished to emigrate due to lack of opportunities—a damning indictment of the previous government’s failure to translate economic growth into inclusive prosperity.

Economic Stakes and the Battle for Bangladesh’s Future

The incoming government inherits a deeply troubled economy in the world’s second-largest garment exporter. GDP growth slowed to 3.97 percent in the fiscal year ending June 2025, down from 4.22 percent the previous year—a far cry from the rapid expansion Bangladesh enjoyed through much of the 2010s.

Inflation has emerged as voters’ primary concern, reaching 8.58 percent in January 2026 with food prices rising even more sharply. More than two-thirds of respondents in pre-election surveys cited rising prices as a major worry, according to polling by the Communication Research Foundation and Bangladesh Elections and Public Opinion Studies.

“Economic pressure, including youth unemployment and stagnating growth, is fueling frustration among a new generation that demands real opportunity rather than symbolic change,” noted Nusrat Jahan, a political analyst at Dhaka University, speaking to Al Jazeera.

Both major alliances have made economic revival central to their platforms, though with differing approaches. The BNP emphasizes attracting foreign investment and revitalizing the crucial garments sector, which accounts for over 80 percent of Bangladesh’s export earnings. Jamaat’s coalition has focused on addressing inequality, inflation control, and what it terms “people-oriented” economic reforms.

Corruption consistently ranks as Bangladesh’s most pressing governance challenge. The nation placed 152nd out of 182 countries in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, slipping from 151st the previous year. Both alliances have promised anti-corruption crackdowns, though skeptics note that such pledges have proven hollow in the past.

Geopolitical Implications: India, China, and Regional Realignment

The election outcome carries significant implications for South Asian geopolitics, particularly regarding Bangladesh’s relationship with neighboring India and increasingly assertive Chinese interests in the region.

Under Hasina, Bangladesh maintained close—critics said subservient—ties with New Delhi, granting India favorable trade terms, transit rights, and security cooperation while Beijing simultaneously increased its economic footprint through infrastructure investments. The incoming government will need to navigate these competing interests carefully.

A BNP-led administration could paradoxically move closer to India despite the party’s traditional nationalism, as Rahman has signaled interest in maintaining regional stability. However, a Jamaat-led coalition might seek to diversify Bangladesh’s international partnerships, potentially strengthening ties with Pakistan, Turkey, and other Muslim-majority nations—a shift that would concern Indian policymakers.

“The election result is expected to influence Bangladesh’s foreign relations significantly,” noted foreign policy analysts. Climate change adaptation, water-sharing agreements with India, and managing the Rohingya refugee crisis will test whichever government emerges from this vote.

The Hasina Legacy and Awami League’s Absence

The most notable aspect of this election is who’s not participating. The Awami League, which dominated Bangladeshi politics for 15 years and won four consecutive elections (three widely criticized as fraudulent), has been suspended from electoral activity following the interim government’s decision to ban the party under anti-terrorism legislation.

Former Prime Minister Hasina, 78, remains in exile in India following her dramatic August 2024 flight from Bangladesh as protesters stormed her official residence. In November 2025, the International Crimes Tribunal convicted her and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal of war crimes and sentenced both to death in absentia for ordering the brutal crackdown that killed an estimated 1,400 protesters.

The election also proceeds without Khaleda Zia, Rahman’s mother and longtime BNP leader, who died on December 30, 2025, after prolonged illness. Her death marked the end of the “Two Begums” era that defined Bangladeshi politics for decades—the rivalry between Zia and Hasina that often descended into vindictive persecution and democratic backsliding.

Muhammad Yunus: The Reluctant Interim Leader

Overseeing this historic transition is Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has led Bangladesh’s interim government since Hasina’s ouster. The microfinance pioneer, while promising to step down once the new government takes power, has championed the July National Charter as essential for preventing a return to autocratic rule.

“We have ended the nightmare and begun a new dream,” Yunus declared after casting his vote Thursday morning. He extended “heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to the entire nation” for the peaceful conduct of polling, describing it as “the beginning of an unprecedented journey toward a new Bangladesh.”

The referendum on Yunus’s reform charter runs parallel to the parliamentary election, with voters receiving pink ballots asking whether they approve the 84-point package. If the majority votes “yes,” the newly elected Parliament will function as a Constituent Assembly for its first 180 days to formalize the Charter into constitutional law.

International Observers and Electoral Integrity

The election proceeded under intense international scrutiny, with approximately 500 foreign observers monitoring the process. The European Union deployed its largest-ever election observation mission to Bangladesh, led by chief observer Ivars Ijabs, with 200 observers from all 27 EU member states plus Canada, Norway, and Switzerland.

The Commonwealth Observer Group, headed by former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, also monitored the polls. Their preliminary assessments, due within 48 hours, will significantly influence international perceptions of the election’s legitimacy.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin hailed the vote as marking Bangladesh’s departure from the “arranged elections” of recent history. “Bangladesh has boarded the train of democracy,” Uddin declared, expressing confidence the nation would soon “reach its destination.”

However, the campaign period was not without violence. At least 16 political activists were killed since elections were announced in December, with five deaths occurring during the final campaign stretch. Police records show more than 600 people injured in political clashes, while crude bombs were detonated near seven polling centers in southwestern Gopalganj hours before voting began.

UN experts had warned of “growing intolerance, threats and attacks” and a “tsunami of disinformation” targeting young first-time voters particularly. Fact-checking organizations documented extensive use of deepfake videos, misleading captions, and fabricated statements—techniques attributed to foreign actors, Awami League supporters operating from exile, and “bot armies” working for various political parties.

What Comes Next: Counting Continues

Official results are expected to emerge gradually through Friday morning, with the Election Commission facing the complex task of tallying both white parliamentary ballots and pink referendum ballots across 42,766 polling stations nationwide. The process involves approximately 785,225 election officials conducting hand counts under the watch of party agents and observers.

For the first time in Bangladesh’s electoral history, postal voting allowed nearly 15 million overseas workers to participate—a recognition of the crucial role their remittances play in the national economy. This innovation, alongside technological enhancements and strengthened dispute-resolution mechanisms, makes the 2026 election “the most procedurally complex in the country’s history,” according to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

The atmosphere across Bangladesh Thursday evening was one of cautious optimism mixed with nervous anticipation. After years of authoritarian rule punctuated by fraudulent elections, citizens appeared both hopeful that democratic norms might be restored and anxious that the transition could still be derailed.

“During Hasina’s time, we couldn’t cast our votes,” said Shakil Ahmed, a driver in Dhaka. “It’s my right to vote. This time, I won’t miss it.”

Whether that vote translates into accountable governance, economic opportunity, and genuine democratic consolidation remains the question that will define Bangladesh’s next chapter. As vote counting continues into the night, a nation of 173 million waits to learn whether February 12, 2026, will indeed mark the birth of the “new Bangladesh” that so many have sacrificed to achieve.

---

This is a developing story. Results will be updated as official counts are released by the Bangladesh Election Commission.

Related Coverage:

• Al Jazeera: Bangladesh election results live updates
• BBC: Polls close in first election since Gen Z protests ousted Bangladesh leader
• Reuters: Bangladesh election – Early counts show close race
• The New York Times: Analysis of Bangladesh’s democratic transition

Crimes against humanity represent one of the most serious affronts to human dignity and collective conscience. They embody patterns of widespread or systematic violence directed against civilian populations — including murder, enforced disappearances, torture, persecution, sexual violence, deportation, and other inhumane acts that shock the moral order of humanity. The United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime against Humanity presents a historic opportunity to strengthen global resolve, reinforce legal frameworks, and advance cooperation among states to ensure accountability, justice, and meaningful prevention.

While the international legal architecture has evolved significantly since the aftermath of the Second World War, important normative and institutional gaps remain. The Genocide Convention of 1948 and the Geneva Conventions established foundational legal protections, and the creation of the International Criminal Court reinforced accountability mechanisms. Yet, unlike genocide and war crimes, there is still no stand-alone comprehensive convention dedicated exclusively to crimes against humanity. This structural omission has limited the capacity of states to adopt consistent domestic legislation, harmonize cooperation frameworks, and pursue perpetrators who move across borders. The Conference of Plenipotentiaries seeks to fill this critical void.

The Imperative of Prevention

Prevention must stand at the core of the international community’s approach. Too often, the world reacts to atrocities only after irreparable harm has been inflicted and communities have been devastated. A meaningful prevention framework requires early warning mechanisms, stronger monitoring capacities, transparent reporting, and a willingness by states and institutions to act before crises escalate. Education in human rights, inclusive governance, rule of law strengthening, and responsible security practices are equally essential elements of prevention.

Civil society organizations, academic institutions, moral leaders, and human rights defenders play a vital role in documenting abuses, amplifying the voices of victims, and urging action when warning signs emerge. Their protection and meaningful participation must therefore be an integral component of any preventive strategy. Without civic space, truth is silenced — and without truth, accountability becomes impossible.

Accountability and the Rule of Law

Accountability is not an act of punishment alone; it is an affirmation of universal human values. When perpetrators enjoy impunity, cycles of violence deepen, victims are re-traumatized, and the integrity of international law erodes. Strengthening judicial cooperation — including extradition, mutual legal assistance, and evidence-sharing — is essential to closing enforcement gaps. Equally important is the responsibility of states to incorporate crimes against humanity into domestic criminal law, ensuring that such crimes can be prosecuted fairly and independently at the national level.

Justice must also be survivor centered. Victims and affected communities deserve recognition, reparations, psychological support, and the assurance that their suffering has not been ignored. Truth-seeking mechanisms and memorialization efforts help restore dignity and foster long-term reconciliation.

The Role of Multilateralism

The Conference reinforces the indispensable role of multilateralism in confronting global challenges. Atrocities rarely occur in isolation; they are rooted in political exclusion, discrimination, securitization of societies, and structural inequalities. No state, however powerful, can confront these dynamics alone. Shared norms, coordinated diplomatic engagement, and principled international cooperation are vital to preventing abuses and responding when they occur.

Multilateral commitments must also be matched with political will. Declarations are meaningful only when accompanied by implementation, transparency, and accountability to both domestic and international publics.

Technology, Media, and Modern Challenges

Contemporary conflicts and crises unfold in an increasingly digital and interconnected world. Technology can illuminate truth — enabling documentation, verification, and preservation of evidence — but it can also be weaponized to spread hate, dehumanization, and incitement. Strengthening responsible digital governance, countering disinformation, and supporting credible documentation initiatives are essential tools for both prevention and accountability. Journalists, researchers, and human rights monitors must be protected from reprisals for their work.

Climate-related stress, demographic shifts, and political polarization further complicate the landscape in which vulnerabilities emerge. The Conference should therefore promote a holistic understanding of risk factors that may precipitate widespread or systematic violence.

A Universal Commitment — With Local Realities

While the principles guiding this Convention are universal, their application must be sensitive to local histories, languages, cultures, and institutional realities. Effective implementation depends on national ownership, capacity-building, judicial training, and inclusive policymaking that engages women, youth, minorities, and marginalized communities. The pursuit of justice must never be perceived as externally imposed, but rather as an expression of shared human values anchored within domestic legal systems.

The Kashmir Conflict and the Reality of Crimes Against Humanity

Crimes against humanity do not emerge overnight. They develop through sustained patterns of abuse, erosion of legal safeguards, and the normalization of repression. Jammu and Kashmir presents a contemporary case study of these dynamics.

Under international law, crimes against humanity encompass widespread or systematic attacks directed against a civilian population, including imprisonment, torture, persecution, enforced disappearance, and other inhumane acts. Evidence emerging from Kashmir—documented by UN experts, international NGOs, journalists, and scholars—demonstrates patterns that meet these legal criteria.

The invocation of “national security” has become the central mechanism through which extraordinary powers are exercised without effective judicial oversight. Draconian laws are routinely used to silence dissent, detain human rights defenders, restrict movement, and suppress independent media. This securitized governance has produced what many Kashmiris describe as the “peace of the graveyard”—an imposed silence rather than genuine peace.

Early-warning frameworks for mass atrocities are particularly instructive. Gregory Stanton identifies Kashmir as exhibiting multiple risk indicators, including classification and discrimination, denial of civil rights, militarization, and impunity. These indicators, if left unaddressed, historically precede mass atrocity crimes.

The systematic silencing of journalists, as warned by the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the targeting of academics and diaspora voices—such as the denial of entry to Dr. Nitasha Kaul and the cancellation of travel documents of elderly activists like Amrit Wilson—demonstrate repression extending beyond borders.

The joint statement by ten UN Special Rapporteurs (2025) regarding one of internationally known human rights defender – Khurram Parvez – underscores that these are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern involving arbitrary detention, torture, discriminatory treatment, and custodial deaths. Together, these acts form a systematic attack on a civilian population, triggering the international community’s responsibility to act.

This Conference offers a critical opportunity to reaffirm that sovereignty cannot be a shield for crimes against humanity. Kashmir illustrates the urgent need for:

• Preventive diplomacy grounded in early warning mechanisms.
• Independent investigations and universal jurisdiction where applicable.
• Stronger protections for journalists, scholars, and human rights defenders, including Irfan Mehraj, Abdul Aaala Fazili, Hilal Mir, Asif Sultan and others.
• Victim-centered justice and accountability frameworks for Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Masarat Aalam, Aasia Andrabi, Fehmeeda Sofi, Nahida Nasreen and others.
•  

Recognizing Kashmir within the crimes-against-humanity discourse is not political—it is legal, moral, and preventive. Failure to act risks entrenching impunity and undermining the very purpose of international criminal law.

Conclusion

The United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries carries profound moral, legal, and historical significance. It represents not only a technical exercise in treaty development but a reaffirmation of humanity’s collective promise — that no people, anywhere, should face systematic cruelty without recourse to justice and protection. By advancing a comprehensive Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime against Humanity, the international community strengthens its resolve to stand with victims, confront impunity, and uphold the sanctity of human dignity.

The success of this effort will ultimately depend on our willingness to transform commitments into action, principles into practice, and aspiration into enduring protection for present and future generations.

Dr. Fai submitted this paper to the Organizers of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity on behalf of PCSWHR which is headed by Dr. Ijaz Noori, an internationally known interfaith expert. The conference took place at the UN headquarters between January 19 – 30, 2026.