SRINAGAR: Indian troops killed two more Kashmiri youth on Wednesday in the Kathua district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), in what has been condemned as another act of state terrorism.
The Kashmiri youth were martyred by Indian troops in a fake encounter during a cordon and search operation in the Khandara area of the district, Kashmir Media Service reported.
The latest deaths follow a similar incident on Monday when Indian troops martyred Kashmiri youth in Rajouri district. According to reports, these youths were also killed in a fake encounter during a cordon and search operation in the Nowshera area.
The Indian forces’ violence has intensified criticism from local and international observers. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has denounced the upcoming assembly elections in occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a “military exercise” designed to mislead the international community.
In a joint statement issued in Srinagar, APHC leadership emphasized that elections conducted under the heavy presence of Indian troops lack legitimacy.
The APHC has called on the United Nations and international human rights organizations to exert pressure on India to release all Kashmiri prisoners, including political leaders, activists, and youth currently detained in various jails.
Mushaal Hussein Malik, the wife of imprisoned Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, condemned India’s actions in IIOJK. Malik accused the Indian government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of attempting to alter the demographic composition of Kashmir by issuing five million domicile certificates to Indian citizens over the past five years.
She claimed that India plans to settle an additional five million non-Kashmiris in the region, which she described as a deliberate attempt to undermine the local population’s identity and autonomy.
Malik labeled the upcoming elections in IIOJK as a “drama,” asserting that no candidate represents the genuine interests of the Kashmiri people. She called for the restoration of the occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, the demilitarization of IIOJK, and the unconditional release of the Hurriyat leadership.
She also stressed the need for increased awareness about the Kashmir cause among youth, proposing the establishment of Kashmir societies across the country to advocate for the Kashmiri right to self-determination and independence in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
