SRINAGAR, Occupied Kashmir: In a significant appeal, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has urged the international community to take a stand for the immediate release of Hurriyat leaders and activists who are currently held in Indian prisons and detention facilities across Jammu and Kashmir. The APHC’s spokesperson, along with prominent Hurriyat figures such as advocate Arshad Iqbal, Farooq Tawheedi, Muhammad Saleem Zargar, Imtiyaz Reshi, and Muhammad Aqib, issued statements in Srinagar expressing deep concern over the alarming human rights situation prevailing in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
They raised a poignant point, highlighting the gross human rights violations that continue to occur under the watchful eye of Indian forces, often with impunity. Their collective voice conveyed the harrowing reality that the entire region has transformed into a military and police stronghold, where fundamental human rights are virtually non-existent.
In a plea that reverberates globally, the APHC has called upon international human rights organizations to deploy fact-finding missions to IIOJK. The objective is to provide an accurate assessment of the ground-level situation, shedding light on the suffering of the Kashmiri people and the oppressive conditions they endure.
Furthermore, the APHC leaders have urged international human rights entities to not only recognize but also advocate for the dire circumstances faced by Kashmiri political detainees. They have implored New Delhi to take immediate steps to release these individuals who have been unjustly incarcerated.
The statements also paid heartfelt tribute to the young lives tragically lost in a staged encounter by Indian troops in Shopian district. This act, decried as the worst form of state terrorism, highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Kashmiris striving for their rights and freedom.
In a broader context, the APHC leaders also took a firm stance against Israel’s recent aggression and terrorism in the Middle East. They assert that the current conflict between Israel and Palestinians stems from Israel’s aggressive colonial settler policy. This policy has led to a series of violent actions, including raids, the forceful eviction of Palestinians from their homes and ancestral lands, and the illegal establishment of Israeli settlements. These actions, they argue, are intended to alter the historic Arab character of Palestine as part of a larger geopolitical agenda in the Middle East and the Arab world.
APHC’s call for international attention to the situation in IIOJK, the release of detainees, and condemnation of Israeli aggression highlights their commitment to safeguarding human rights and advocating for justice on multiple fronts.
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