International Law vs. Domestic Law in Kashmir

Human rights abuses persist in Kashmir and the domestic laws in place since the British Raj have promoted such atrocities. These laws include the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA) that are draconian by nature. As Seema Kazi explains, the situation in Kashmir breaches both domestic and international law. Despite perpetrators violating international law, existing domestic laws including AFSPA and PSA seem to shelter such individuals rather than prosecute them. Thus we must examine the power of existing legislation at both the domestic level and international level in order to understand Kashmir’s future.