SRINAGAR: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has condemned the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime in India for political vengeance against Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders and youth who oppose New Delhi’s policies in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In a statement issued on Saturday, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas criticized the Indian government’s actions as a punitive measure against those advocating for Kashmiri self-determination.
Advocate Minhas highlighted the severe human rights abuses faced by Kashmiris, including extrajudicial killings, arrests, and torture, as part of a broader strategy to quell dissent and suppress demands for self-determination. He accused the Indian authorities of employing colonial-era tactics to stifle political dissent and maintain control over the occupied region.
“The people of Kashmir are enduring brutal repression for merely demanding their fundamental right to self-determination,” said Minhas. “The BJP regime is using draconian measures to punish those who challenge its illegal occupation.”
The APHC also condemned the prolonged illegal detention of several prominent Hurriyat leaders. Among those cited in the statement are Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, and several others. These leaders have been detained under stringent and controversial laws, and their continued imprisonment is seen by the APHC as a deliberate attempt to silence the voices advocating for Kashmiri autonomy.
Despite these harsh measures, the APHC asserts that the commitment of Hurriyat leaders to the cause of Kashmiri freedom remains unshaken. “Even the most severe Indian atrocities have not deterred the Hurriyat leaders from their just struggle. They remain resolute in their fight for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination and are determined to continue their efforts until the movement reaches its logical conclusion,” Minhas added.
