MIRPUR-AJK: Chairman of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations, Altaf Hussain Wani has strongly criticized the Indian government’s organization of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, calling it a completely flop attempt to mislead the world about the region’s true situation.
In a statement addressed to foreign diplomats invited by India to observe the polls, Wani emphasized that the current conflict and human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir cannot be ignored. He argued that the polls are being used to create a false image of normalcy in a troubled region.
Wani also pointed out that the situation in Occupied Kashmir is not just a local dispute but holds global significance.
He also reminded diplomats of various UNSC resolutions, which say that the future of Jammu and Kashmir should be decided through a free and fair plebiscite under the United Nations.
While he acknowledged the potential for the diplomats’ trip to provide insight into the local and ground conditions, Wani also warned that the Indian government might restrict their access to affected people, skewing the portrayal of the ground reality.
He called for a UN fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations in the region and urged foreign diplomats to advocate for the release of human rights activists and political prisoners.
Wani has hoped that the diplomats’ trip would emphasize the need for meaningful talks that prioritizes the voices of the people of Kashmir.
