‘Sham elections in IIOJK no substitute for plebiscite’
Islamabad: The ongoing sham elections in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir cannot be a substitute for a long-promised plebiscite, promised with the Kashmiris by the United Nations.
According to Kashmir Media Service, this was stated during a roundtable discussion organized by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) titled “Governance or Control: An Analysis of the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections”.
The participants of the conference said the BJP regime is using elections as a tool to legitimize its grip on the territory. They said through these elections India wants to reverse the plebiscite which Kashmiris not only deserve but are also entitled according to international law.
They said by hosting foreign delegates, India wants to create an impression of free and fair elections, however, the transparency of the electoral process has already been affected by the disproportionate distribution of seats between the regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
They said in the absence of strong Kashmiri leadership, especially since the death of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani, the territory has been deprived of a clear local narrative to counter India’s influence.
They said the BJP is preparing to move a resolution in the Kashmir Legislative Assembly to justify the abrogation of Article 370, which deprived the territory of its special status. They agreed on the need to unify the Kashmiri leadership and develop political will to take concrete steps for resolving the ongoing issues in Indian occupied Kashmir.
They said the people of Pakistan should stand firm with their core values and resist divisive narratives that undermine national unity. They further said the international system is in a state of change, which is providing new opportunities to the United Nations to redefine its roles at the global level.
They suggested that Pakistan should actively seek these opportunities to develop a comprehensive framework for resolving the Kashmir dispute.
This session was moderated by Vice Chairman of IPS and former Ambassador Syed Abrar Hussain, while Chairman of IPS Khalid Rehman, former Dean of School of Politics and International Relations of Quaid-e-Azam University, Prof. Dr. Nazir Hussain, former Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and IPS Research Associate Farzana Yaqoob and Dr Amina Mehmood, Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad spoke to the conference.
