SRINAGAR: Today marks a somber anniversary for the Kashmiri people, as the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) comes together to pay tribute to Altaf Ahmad Shah, a revered senior leader of the Hurriyet movement in Occupied Kashmir.
Shah, son-in-law of the renowned Kashmiri freedom icon, Syed Ali Gilani, embraced martyrdom while in Indian captivity exactly a year ago.
Altaf Ahmad Shah had been unjustly held in New Delhi’s infamous Tihar Jail since his arrest in 2017. During his incarceration, he was diagnosed with late-stage renal cancer, further exacerbating the already dire circumstances of his confinement.
The spokesperson for the APHC, alongside Tehreek-e-Hurriyet Jammu Kashmir, and Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) spokesperson advocate Arshad Iqbal, and Jammu and Kashmir Youth Social Forum (JKYSF) Chairman, Maulana Musaib Nadvi, have asserted that Altaf Ahmad Shah fell victim to targeted killing orchestrated by the Indian authorities. They contend that his custodial death was part of a deep-rooted conspiracy by the Hindutva Modi regime to eradicate Hurriyet leadership, which is particularly vulnerable within the confines of a jail.
These voices have united in urging the international community, including the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and global human rights organizations, to pressure India into immediately releasing all illegally detained pro-freedom leaders. The mentioned leaders, such as APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, and countless other unlawfully detained Kashmiris, languish in India’s oppressive detention centers. Additionally, they call upon these international bodies to intervene and facilitate the resolution of the longstanding Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions and the genuine aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Bar Association of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has further condemned Altaf Shah’s demise as an outright instance of custodial killing. The association decries the Indian judiciary for failing to safeguard the lives of under-trial Kashmiri political prisoners, shedding light on the systemic injustices faced by the Kashmiri populace.
