Hurriyat leaders targeted to silence voices for self-determination in IIOJK: APHC
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference has expressed serious concern over the ongoing crackdown by Indian military and police forces against the pro-freedom leaders and activists in the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a statement issued in Srinagar, condemned the continued targeting of Hurriyat leaders and activists. He emphasized that the aim of this repression is to silence those advocating for the legitimate right to self-determination, as outlined in the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Minhas highlighted that the Indian government’s actions, including the suppression of political space, denial of freedom of expression and the strangulation of civil liberties, have exposed the false narrative of normalcy propagated by India in the besieged and illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The APHC also condemned the actions of the Hindutva-driven Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, stating that New Delhi and its appointed Lieutenant Governor are actively working to alter IIOJK’s demographic makeup in order to undermine the effectiveness of the UN’s Kashmir resolutions. Minhas underscored that India’s efforts to settle non-locals in the occupied territory are aimed at changing the its Muslim-majority status into a minority. However, he reaffirmed that the Kashmiri people would never allow India to succeed in its nefarious designs.
The APHC further expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding the number of domicile certificates issued in occupied Jammu and Kasmir, which has sparked tensions and raised alarm among the local population.
In his statement, Minhas called on the United Nations Secretary-General to use his good offices to pressurize India to cease its atrocities and violations of international law in Kashmir. He urged the UN to take urgent action to ensure that India takes meaningful steps towards resolving the Kashmir dispute in line with the UN Security Council’s resolutions.