SRINAGAR: Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) have strongly reacted to the Indian government’s imposition of a ban on the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The Hurriyat Conference leaders consider the Modi-led Indian government’s actions entirely unjustified and illegal.
According to the Kashmir Media Service, APHC General Secretary Molvi Bashir Ahmed Irfani, who is currently incarcerated, conveyed his message from jail. Other leaders, including Fayaz Hussain Jafari, Syed Sibte Shabbir Qummi, and Farida Bahenji, issued statements in Srinagar, condemning India’s violation of democratic values and principles in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
These leaders emphasized that the international community recognizes Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory, and the United Nations has passed numerous resolutions affirming the right to self-determination for the Kashmiri people. Therefore, they argue that the Kashmiri struggle against India’s illegal occupation of their homeland is entirely legitimate and just.
The APHC leaders asserted that India’s actions to suppress the Kashmiri freedom movement through force and the banning of freedom-seeking organizations run counter to international laws and principles. They view the ban on the DFP as a manifestation of India’s fear and emphasize that freedom movements cannot be crushed through repressive tactics.
In a joint statement in Srinagar, the APHC’s constituent organizations, including the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Political Movement, Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Front, and Jammu and Kashmir Employees Movement, also condemned the ban on the DFP.
APHC Urges UN to Prevent Banning Political Parties
They called upon the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the European Union to intervene and prevent India from banning political parties in occupied Jammu and Kashmir that are striving for a resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions.
Furthermore, APHC-AJK leaders, including Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Syed Yousuf Naseem, and others, condemned the ban on the DFP.
They emphasized that the UN Charter grants the Kashmiri people the right to struggle for their birthright, the right to self-determination. Since the DFP is also peacefully advocating for this right, they argue that there is no justification for its ban. These leaders expressed their belief that the BJP government’s nefarious attempts to suppress the Kashmir freedom movement through such tactics will not succeed, and the Kashmiri people will persist in their struggle until they achieve complete success.
