Hurriyat leaders decry brutal campaign of Indian repression in IIOJK
#KashmiriVoicesSilenced
Srinagar: Hurriyat leaders from various organizations have strongly condemned the Narendra Modi-led Indian government for unleashing a brutal campaign of repression in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir to crush the legitimate demand of the Kashmiri people for their UN-acknowledged right to self-determination.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Hurriyat leaders in their joint statement issued in Srinagar while condemning the extrajudicial killing of a youth by Indian police in Jammu said that New Delhi is using force and fear to suppress Kashmiris’ voices, resorting to extrajudicial killings, custodial torture, and harassment to punish those who dare to assert their political aspirations.
They said India has weaponized its investigative agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the State Investigation Agency (SIA) to target pro-freedom leaders, human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society members. “Mass surveillance, internet censorship, raids, arrests and draconian laws like UAPA and PSA are tools of state terrorism,” the statement pointed out.
The Hurriyat leaders termed India’s so-called democracy as a façade, saying it continues to deny basic civil and political rights to the people of Kashmir. “India’s policy of collective punishment reflects its desperation to crush the demand for a UN-mandated plebiscite in the occupied territory,” the statement said.
The leaders reiterated that no amount of military aggression or repression could extinguish the Kashmiri people’s desire for freedom and dignity. “India cannot silence an entire population forever. The spirit of resistance in Kashmir is unyielding,” they added.
Calling upon the United Nations, the leaders said the ongoing injustices and systematic suppression in Kashmir can no longer be ignored. They urged world powers to pressurize India to respect international law and allow the Kashmiri people to freely express their political will.
The Hurriyat leaders reaffirmed their unwavering resolve to continue the peaceful struggle for the right to self-determination until the final resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions is achieved.
