APHC-AJK urges OIC to pressurize India to resolve Kashmir dispute
Islamabad: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter has urged the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha to pressurize India to resolve the lingering Kashmir dispute peacefully under UN supervised plebiscite so that the Kashmiris will decide their political fate.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a letter to the OIC Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, the APHC-AJK exposed the Narendra Modi-led Indian government’s farcical democracy, which masks the suspension of fundamental freedoms and rampant human rights abuses in IIOJK.
Blowing the lid off Modi’s attempts to deceive the world by staging parliamentary elections in the occupied territory, the APHC-AJK Convener Mehmood Ahmad Saghar condemned India’s attempts to legitimize its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir through sham elections, while denying the Kashmiri people their basic rights and freedoms.
“The All Parties Hurriyat Conference believes that elections being held under the shadow of guns cannot be a substitute to Kashmiris’ right to plebiscite or referendum, which as per the UNSC resolutions is supposed to be held under the UN auspices” the letter said.
APHC-AJK urged OIC to pressure India to reduce its military presence, end human rights abuses, release all political prisoners, and engage in inclusive and meaningful dialogue to resolve the lingering dispute peacefully under a UN-supervised plebiscite. This would allow the Kashmiri people to determine their political fate, free from Indian coercion and manipulation, the letter said.
The text of the letter is given below:
His Excellency,
Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha
Secretary General
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
OIC Headquarters
Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Subject: Elections not a substitute to plebiscite in Kashmir
Excellency,
I, on behalf of the people of the Indian held territory of Jammu and Kashmir, wish to seek your urgent attention towards the Indian government’s attempts to mislead the world by staging yet another Election-Drama in the held territory in the name of parliamentary elections.
Excellency,
It is noteworthy to mention here that the election is taking place at a time when essential fundamental freedoms in the region remain largely suspended. There has been an alarming deterioration of fundamental freedoms and civic space in Kashmir since India’s apartheid regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped the region of its special status in 2019. Over the past five years, the Modi government has attempted to crush every form of dissent by targeting critics including civil society groups, human rights defenders and independent media.
Excellency,
The Indian government has been using its repressive state apparatus to silence political dissent and maintain control over the region. Ruthless suppression of dissent has led to a wide-range of human rights violations, including:
• Use of excessive force and pellet-gun against peaceful protesters
• Arbitrary detentions, arrests and torture of political activists, civilians and leaders of the APHC
• Enforced disappearances and fake encounters
These actions have been criticized by international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations.
It’s important to note that the situation in Kashmir is complex but the Indian government, notwithstanding the harsh ground realities, is unabashedly engaged in painting a sort of “all is well” portrait of Kashmir-the region where chaos and uncertainty reigns supreme.
The allegations of human rights violations and the use of excessive force by the Indian government in Kashmir are well-documented and widely condemned by the international community.
Excellency,
New Delhi has since long used farcical elections as a smokescreen to create a false impression of normalcy in the territory. However, the legitimacy of elections held in Kashmir by India, in the presence of a large number of troops, is a highly contested and debated issue. Independent observers have always raised their concerns over the credibility of these polls lacking fairness and transparency.
The heavy military presence has been used by the Indian government as a leverage to:
• Intimidate voters and opposition candidates
• Restrict freedom of speech and assembly
• Skew the electoral process in favor of pro-India candidates
Moreover, these elections were used by India as an instrument to:
• Project a facade of democracy and de-legitimate the Kashmiris’ peaceful struggle for right to self-determination.
• Hoodwink global community
• Strengthen its control over the region
• Divide and rule the Kashmiri population
Excellency,
The international community, including human rights organizations and foreign governments, have time and again raised their concerns about the legitimacy of these elections and called for:
• A reduction in military presence
• An end to human rights abuses
• Release of all political prisoners
• Inclusive and meaningful dialogue to resolve the lingering dispute peacefully
• Holding a UN-supervised plebiscite to allow Kashmiris to determine their political fate
The Kashmiri population has also largely boycotted these elections in the past, citing a lack of trust in the process and a desire for a permanent solution to the conflict. But India has blatantly refused to give a heed to the clarion calls emanating from within and outside Kashmir.
Excellency,
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference believes that elections being held under the shadow of guns cannot be a substitute to Kashmiris’ right to plebiscite or referendum, which as per the UNSC resolutions is supposed to be held under the UN auspices.
Excellency,
The OIC has a proud legacy of preventing conflicts by utilizing its good offices, diplomacy, and mediation to pursue peaceful resolutions to global disputes. Given the role and responsibility of the prestigious body, we, as representatives of the people of the Indian occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir, appeal to your Excellency to use your good offices to persuade the Indian government to help resolve the Kashmir conflict that has now assumed dangerous proportions.
Excellency,
It is imperative that the Kashmiri people’s fundamental human rights must be respected and their voices be heard to create an enabling environment for a peaceful solution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
With profound regards
Mehmood Ahmed Saghar
Convener,
All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Pakistan and Azad Kashmir Chapter
