Sergio Gor’s statement on Kashmir sets bad precedent, says Muhammad Farooq Rehmani
Islamabad : Senior APHC-AJK leader and Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, has strongly condemned US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor’s statement on Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar, terming it contrary to international resolutions and commitments regarding the territory’s status and the political aspirations of its people.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a statement issued in Islamabad, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani said that India was ruling Jammu and Kashmir despotically through draconian laws while seeking to alter its political and demographic character and integrate the territory into India against the will and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Gor, during his recent visit to Srinagar, called Jammu and Kashmir an important part of India. Rehmani said that the remarks had caused widespread anger among Kashmiris, noting that thousands of political detainees, including media persons and lawyers in IIOJK, remain incarcerated in Indian jails for voicing opposition to India’s brutal policies in the territory.
He said the situation had worsened following India’s unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019. In its aftermath, he said, arrests, property attachments, dismissal of Kashmiri Muslim employees, restrictions on Muslim educational institutions and curbs on the press had become routine.
Muhammad Farooq Rehmani urged the United States to respect the internationally recognized framework for ascertaining the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and refrain from endorsing India’s position on the disputed territory.
