Civil society demands release of political prisoners, end to suppression in IIOJK
Srinagar: Civil society representatives have called on India to halt its oppressive and anti-Kashmir policies and immediately release all political prisoners, including the Hurriyat leadership, who are languishing in jails across India and Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
According to Kashmir Media Service, during a meeting in Srinagar, civil society members, including Dr. Zubair Ahmed, Muhammad Furhan, Muhammad Iqbal Shaheen and Syed Haider Hussain, emphasized the urgent need for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35-A to their original form. They demanded an end to the atrocities and urged for a resolution to the Kashmir dispute in line with United Nations resolutions.
The representatives highlighted that the Indian military and police, empowered by draconian laws, are systematically targeting, arresting, and harassing innocent Kashmiri youth during cordon and search operations and house raids across the occupied territory to suppress the Kashmiris’ ongoing struggle for securing their right to self-determination. This crackdown has intensified since August 5, 2019, when the Indian government unilaterally and illegally abrogated the special status of IIOJK and imposed a military and police siege.
They emphasized that the New Delhi-controlled BJP regime must recognize that no amount of brutalization, military force, or anti-Kashmir policies will subdue the Kashmiri people’s resolve. The civil society members asserted that while India may detain or kill Kashmiri youth, it cannot crush their determination for a resolution to the Kashmir conflict. The Kashmiri youth are committed to continuing their struggle for self-determination until they achieve their goal, they added.
The civil society also called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to address the injustices and brutalities perpetrated by India in IIOJK. They urged global bodies to hold India accountable for its human rights violations and to support the Kashmiri people in their quest for justice and self-determination.
