ISLAMABAD: Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) – Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) chapter have dismissed Indian claims of economic development and normalcy in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as absurd and deceptive. They have said that the Modi regime has inflicted devastation across all aspects of life, transforming the region into desolation.
According to reports from Kashmir Media Service, APHC-AJK leaders, including Muhammad Sultan Butt, Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, Zahid Safi, Syed Gulshan Ahmed, Zahid Ashraf, Javeed Ahmed Butt, Shaikh Yaqoob, Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, and others, in their separate statements in Islamabad, emphasized that since August 5, 2019, Kashmiris have been stripped of their identity and deprived of their economic, social, and political rights by the Hindutva regime.
They highlighted that India’s development efforts in the region are solely focused on military infrastructure, aimed at supporting its massive troop presence, while neglecting crucial public interest projects.
The leaders condemned India’s exploitation of Kashmir’s natural resources, pushing locals into dire living conditions. They criticized the unequal distribution of electricity, favoring Indian states at the expense of Kashmiri residents, leaving many in darkness.
Addressing employment issues, they lamented the discrimination faced by educated Kashmiri youth in contrast to Indian citizens, who receive government jobs. They also raised concerns about land confiscation and demographic changes driven by Indian settlement initiatives.
Highlighting environmental degradation, they decried the deforestation and timber smuggling by the Indian army, further jeopardizing local livelihoods.
The leaders expressed dismay over the deliberate sabotage of the apple industry, a vital source of income for many Kashmiris, aimed at perpetuating their backwardness and stifling aspirations for freedom.
They warned against India’s agenda to eradicate Kashmiri Muslims and replace them with Indian Hindus, reiterating Kashmiris’ unwavering resolve to resist Indian subjugation until they achieve freedom.
The APHC leaders reaffirmed the determination of the people of IIOJK to reject Indian oppression, emphasizing that despite promises of prosperity, the sacrifices made by Kashmiris would eventually lead to liberation from illegal occupation.
