Jailed leader urges world to settle Kashmir, Palestine disputes
Srinagar: Shabbir Ahmed Shah, senior APHC leader and Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, has condemned Israeli aggression in Gaza and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people from his jail cell in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Shah in a message from jail expressed regret that the world is silently witnessing the violence and destruction inflicted upon Palestinians and Kashmiris at the hands of oppressors. He emphasizes that Kashmir and Palestine share a similar struggle, having suffered greatly at the hands of Indian and Israeli colonizers. The military aggression and deprivation of basic rights in these disputed areas necessitate resolution for global peace and prosperity.
Shah criticizes the Indian BJP government’s policies, particularly since August 2019, as attempts to erase Kashmiris’ fundamental identity. He noted that the Indian government has altered demography and established new colonies in Srinagar, Pulwama, Islamabad, and Kulgam, posing a threat to the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah urges the international community to acknowledge the plight of Kashmiris and Palestinians and take decisive action to resolve these disputes before the escalating conflict worsens. He stressed the need for the world to break its silence on Kashmir, where India’s apartheid regime has replicated Israel’s model, silencing the people.
The Gaza-Israel conflict has resulted in significant loss of life and infrastructure damage, with over 37,000 Gazans reportedly killed in the ongoing 2023-2024 war. This conflict is part of the broader Israeli-Palestinian dispute that began in 1948.
