The All Parties Hurriyat Conference AJK Chapter (APHC-AJK) has strongly condemned the banning of Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom in Shopian, calling it a “decisive assault” on religious freedom, educational autonomy and Kashmiri Muslim identity.   The move is not routine but part of India’s “systematic policy” to alter Kashmir’s religious and social fabric, APHC-AJK Information Secretary Mushtaq Ahmad Butt said in a statement.  

Applying draconian UAPA to a seminary shows the black laws are now targeting academic and religious institutions, he noted.  He said Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom preserves intellectual training and cultural identity, and action against it is seen as an attack on Kashmiris’ collective identity. He also flagged reports of mosque surveillance and profiling as violations of religious freedom.   APHC-AJK urged global human rights bodies to take notice, warning the ban reflects a broader trend to restrict religious and educational autonomy in occupied Kashmir. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)