Pakistan condemns India’s ban on socio-political parties in IIOJK
Islamabad: Pakistan has strongly condemned the decision by Indian authorities to declare the Awami Action Committee and Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen illegal for five years.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Foreign Office in a press statement emphasized that this ban is yet another example of India’s harsh measures in IIOJK. “Banning political parties and organizations is a clear attempt to suppress political activities and stifle dissent in the territory,” the statement read. It further condemned the Indian government’s disregard for democratic principles and international human rights laws.
The statement urged the Government of India to lift the restrictions on Kashmiri political parties, release all political prisoners, and implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
Last year, India had also declared several political parties as “unlawful associations,” bringing the total number of banned parties to 16 in the occupied territory. The Foreign Office had condemned that decision as well.
It is pertinent to mention that Awami Action Committee is led by the prominent political and religious leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, while Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen was founded by another respected political and religious leader, Maulana Muhammad Abbas Ansari. KMS-11U
