SRINAGAR, Occupied Kashmir: In the month of August, Indian troops continued their relentless acts of state terrorism in the Indian illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), resulting in the tragic martyrdom of eight Kashmiris.
According to data released by the Research Section of the Kashmir Media Service, these Kashmiris lost their lives in various fake encounters, leaving behind three widowed women and eleven orphaned children, all at the hands of Indian forces.
During this period, Indian army personnel, police, paramilitary forces, as well as agencies like the Special Investigation Agency (SIA) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), launched a campaign of terror, arresting a staggering 134 civilians. Most of these detainees included political activists, youth, and students who were apprehended during house raids and no less than 261 cordon and search operations. Many of them found themselves ensnared in a web of draconian laws, with charges filed against them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Furthermore, the situation in IIOJK remains grim as over four thousand Hurriyat leaders and activists, prominent figures among them, continue to be victims of political vendetta. These individuals, including APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Aasiya Andrabi, Naheeda Nasreen, Fehmeeda Sufi, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Ayaz Akbar, Pir Saifullah, Merajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Bilal Sidiqi, Molvi Bashir Irfani, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Syed Shahid Shah, Syed Shakeel Ahmad, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Ameer Hamza, Dr. Hameed Fayaz, Abdul Rashid Dawoodi, Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri, Abdul Majeed Dar Almadni, Noor Muhammad Fayaz, Fahim Ramzan, Hayat Ahmed Butt, Rafiq Ahmed Shah, Showket Hakeem, Advocate Zahid Ali, Zaffar Akbar Butt, Muhammad Yousuf Falahi, Dr. Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Dr. Muhammad Shafi Shariati, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Butt, Ghulam Qadir Butt, Muhammad Yousuf Mir, Rafiq Ahmad Ganai, Shakeel Ahmad Yatoo, Shabir Ahmed Dar, Firdous Ahmed Shah, Jahangir Ghani Butt, Saleem Nanaji, Sajad Hussain Gul, Muhammad Yasin Butt, and human rights defender Khurrum Parvaiz have all been unjustly imprisoned in jails both in India and IIOJK. These incarcerations have been made on the basis of fabricated charges, further highlighting the ongoing violations of human rights and the oppressive atmosphere in the region.
The international community must take cognizance of these grave violations and condemn the unabated state terrorism in IIOJK. The plight of Kashmiris deserves global attention and concerted efforts towards achieving a peaceful resolution to this longstanding conflict. The suffering of the Kashmiri people must not be allowed to continue unchecked, and justice must prevail for those who have been unjustly persecuted.
