Elections can’t replace self-determination, Kashmiris must stay alert to Indian plots: APHC
Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has firmly asserted that the so-called assembly elections in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir cannot replace the Kashmiri people’s fundamental right to self-determination.
In an interview with Kashmir Media Service, Srinagar-based APHC spokesperson Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas emphasized that the ongoing elections are not a solution to the lingering Kashmir dispute. He reiterated the longstanding demand of the Kashmiri people for the dispute to be resolved in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions. Minhas highlighted that the international community views Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory, with its political future yet to be decided.
Minhas criticized India’s deployment of over one million troops in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain its illegal hold on the territory, asserting that elections conducted under such heavy military presence are meaningless. He said the Modi government has transformed the region into a military garrison, revoking its special status, and depriving Kashmiris of their fundamental rights. Additionally, he pointed out that thousands of Kashmiris, including Hurriyat leaders, activists, and youth, have been imprisoned.
The spokesperson condemned the BJP-RSS alliance for its designs to alter the demographic composition of Jammu and Kashmir by marginalizing its Muslim majority. He said the BJP and RSS have mobilized their agents to sow discord among Kashmiris, discredit the freedom movement, and spread unfounded allegations against Pakistan.
Minhas urged Kashmiris to stay vigilant against these Indian agents, who are undermining the sacrifices of martyrs for their own gain. He also called on them to be wary of Indian schemes designed to create divisions between the populace and the Hurriyat leadership.
He concluded by affirming that Kashmiris have made tremendous sacrifices in their struggle against illegal Indian occupation and vowed that their pursuit of self-determination will continue unwaveringly. Minhas also appealed to the international community to address the ongoing illegal actions and brutalities inflicted upon innocent people in the occupied territory and to actively work towards resolving the Kashmir dispute.
Meanwhile, APHC leader and Chairperson of Jammu and Kashmir Mass Movement Farida Behanji in a statement in Srinagar urged the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to take notice of the sham elections in occupied Jammu and Kashmir by Indian authorities. She also appealed him to Immediately implement the UN Kashmir resolutions to give Kashmiris their birthright to self-determination as the fraud elections cannot be a substitute for a referendum in Jammu and Kashmir.
