SRINAGAR, Occupied Kashmir: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has strongly criticized India’s approach to the Kashmir dispute, describing it as unrealistic and arrogant. The APHC emphasizes that a political issue like Kashmir cannot be resolved through military means, as it carries a high risk of death and destruction on an unimaginable scale.
Nayeem Ahmed Khan, an APHC leader who is currently incarcerated in Tihar Jail, conveyed his condemnation of India’s use of military power to suppress the political aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He emphasized that the demand for the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination is not only legitimate but also supported by United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In the eyes of the APHC and many international observers, India’s deployment of approximately one million military personnel in Jammu and Kashmir represents an alarming military-to-population ratio, unparalleled anywhere else in the world. This massive military presence is seen as a form of state terrorism and violence, especially when applied against the relatively small population of Jammu and Kashmir.
The APHC leader refuted India’s claims of “normalcy” in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) region. He pointed out that since the controversial abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A on August 5, 2019, the situation in IIOJK has remained highly volatile. The local population has endured a harsh military and police lockdown, resulting in casualties, injuries, arrests, torture, and humiliation.
In light of these developments, the APHC leader made an earnest appeal to the United Nations Secretary-General. He urged the Secretary-General to take immediate notice of the human rights abuses and atrocities being perpetrated by Indian authorities in IIOJK. The APHC called upon the United Nations to play an active role in resolving the Kashmir dispute, in strict accordance with the resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council.
This statement from the APHC underscores the ongoing tensions and complex dynamics surrounding the Kashmir issue, with different parties advocating for peaceful resolutions and the protection of human rights in the region.
