SRINAGAR: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has underscored the plight of the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), attributing their suffering to the unresolved Kashmir dispute, which has lingered for over seven decades at the United Nations.
Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, the spokesperson for APHC, emphasized that India’s persistent military and violent policies have been aimed at suppressing the legitimate demand of Kashmiris for their right to self-determination. He highlighted the significant sacrifices made by Kashmiris, with at least five lakh lives lost since 1947 in their pursuit of freedom from Indian oppression.
Minhas reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a humanitarian crisis that requires a resolution rooted in historical context and aligned with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He stressed that the unresolved dispute poses a threat to peace in South Asia and advocated for the establishment of better relations between India and Pakistan, contingent upon the settlement of the Kashmir issue based on the will of the Kashmiri people.
Furthermore, the APHC spokesperson called for the immediate release of all illegally detained Kashmiri political leaders, including prominent figures such as APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Aasiya Andrabi, and Nayeem Ahmed Khan, who are held in various jails across India and the occupied territory.
Minhas condemned India’s escalating repression in IIOJK, highlighting the arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of Kashmiri youth subjected to torture and humiliation. He urged the United Nations to intervene and facilitate the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, emphasizing that a lasting peace in South Asia hinges on its peaceful settlement.
