Hurriyat leaders dismiss IIOJK assembly elections as mere military exercise
Srinagar: All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders, Khawaja Firdous, Syed Bashir Andrabi and Muhammad Shafi Lone have termed the upcoming assembly elections in occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a mere military exercise aimed at undermining the disputed status of the territory and misleading the international community.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a joint statement issued in Srinagar, the leaders said that the Kashmiri people will reject these elections, just like they have done in the past, as they are no substitute for the right to self-determination. They emphasized that the elections, held under the shadow of tens of thousands of Indian troops, have no credibility.
The leaders stated that Kashmiris are sacrificing their lives for their birthright, the right to self-determination, and will continue their struggle till the mission of their martyrs is accomplished. They appealed to the United Nations and international human rights organizations to pressure India to release all Kashmiri prisoners, including leaders, activists, and youth, from jails.
Another leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Abdul Samad Inqilabi, urged the United Nations to play its role in resolving the Kashmir dispute according to its passed resolutions. He said that lasting peace and development in South Asia cannot be achieved until the Kashmir dispute is resolved. Inqilabi criticized the Modi government for violating international laws and regulations in occupied Kashmir, particularly its attempts to change the demographic composition of the region, which he said is a blatant violation of UN resolutions. He demanded that the UN take notice of India’s illegal actions and pressure it to resolve the Kashmir dispute.
