No ban will deter Kashmiris from raising voice for rights: Ruhullah Mehdi
Srinagar: National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi has said that the banning of Awami Action Committee (AAC) & Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM) is yet another authoritarian move to silence voices in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Ruhullah Mehdi in a post on his twitter account X said, “This method by Delhi only adds to the sense of alienation and suffocation. Banning organisations or raiding bookshops will not help Delhi in its claims of democracy and normalcy”.
“No ban, no decree, and no intimidation will deter people of Kashmir from speaking for their democratic rights and aspirations,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum (JKCSF), under the chairmanship of Abdul Qayoom Wani, also expressed deep concern over the ban imposed on the Awami Action Committee and Ittehadul Muslimeen.
A statement of the JKCSF issued in Srinagar said that it considers this decision unfortunate and appeals to the authorities to reconsider the move. It said that both the AAC and JKIM had historically played a significant role in promoting education, fostering communal harmony, and contributing to social reformation in the territory.
People’s Democratic Party legislator Waheed Parra raised the issue in IIOJK Assembly, urging the House to intervene and seek the reversal of ban. During a brief intervention, Parra argued that banning the organisations led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Masroor Abbas Ansari, amounts to stifling political dissent. He stressed the need for dialogue and peaceful engagement to address political issues in IIOJK rather than resorting to prohibitions.
