Reaffirms commitment to Kashmir’s right to self-determination
Islamabad: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the just struggle for the internationally recognized right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Since its inception in 1993, the APHC has been active on both political and diplomatic fronts to highlight and advance this legitimate cause.
Under the leadership of the incarcerated Chairman, Musarat Alam Butt, the movement continues to move forward with determination. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, responsibilities are being carried by Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Advocate Parvez Ahmad Shah, and Mushtaq Ahmad Butt.
In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), senior leaders including Musarat Alam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Naeem Ahmad Khan, Dr. Hamid Fayyaz, Ayaz Akbar, Pir Saifullah, Meraj-ud-Din Kalwal, Zafar Akbar Butt, Bilal Siddique, Umar Adil Dar, Asiya Andrabi, Fahmida Sofi, Naheeda Nasreen, Dr. Qasim Faktoo, and several others continue to face long-term imprisonment under inhumane conditions. Those leaders who remain outside prisons are subjected to intimidation, threats, and coercive tactics aimed at silencing their voices and forcing them to abandon the struggle for self-determination.
The APHC notes with grave concern that the denial of medical care to senior leaders such as Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, and Altaf Ahmad Shah, leading to their deaths in custody, reflects India’s decades-old policy of deliberate neglect and slow persecution of Kashmiri political prisoners.
During the last four days alone, more than 1,500 civilians have been detained during cordon-and-search operations across various districts including Srinagar, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Budgam, Islamabad (Anantnag), Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Ramban, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, and Kathua. Women, pro-freedom activists, and even doctors have been detained under draconian laws. Occupation forces have confiscated mobile phones, laptops, and bank documents during house raids, and properties are being seized as part of a new pattern of collective punishment.
At the same time, India has accused four Kashmiris of involvement in the Delhi Red Fort blast, reflecting yet another attempt to malign the Kashmiri freedom movement.
The APHC strongly condemns these large-scale arrests, the confiscation of properties, and the continued repression of civilians. It asserts that such measures will neither deceive the people of Jammu and Kashmir nor weaken their resolve. The people of the territory will continue their peaceful struggle under the banner of the Hurriyat Conference until the realization of their right to self-determination.
The Hurriyat Conference calls upon United Nations human rights experts to take immediate notice of the deteriorating human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and to intervene to end the atmosphere of fear and terror created by Indian forces.
The APHC makes it unequivocally clear before the international community that:
- India aims to perpetuate its illegal occupation through systematic repression and coercive measures;
- It seeks to weaken the resolve of the Kashmiri people;
- It wants to create a false perception that the right to self-determination is unattainable; and
- It believes that imprisonment and violence can suppress the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
India continues to target the leadership and youth of the freedom movement in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Furthermore, it is now extending its intimidation campaign toward the families and relatives of those working for the Kashmiri cause in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, and the Kashmiri diaspora abroad.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference reiterates its appeal to the international community to hold India accountable for its systematic human rights violations and to support the just struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination, as guaranteed under UN resolutions.