The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) asserted that the reality of Jammu and Kashmir’s disputed status cannot be altered by New Delhi through coercive measures, harassment, or repressive legislation enforced in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a statement issued in Srinagar, said the Kashmir dispute must be resolved through the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions.

Expressing serious concern over India’s hegemonic and colonial policies, he warned that the unresolved Kashmir issue carries the potential to ignite a nuclear conflict in South Asia.  The APHC voiced deep concern over the deteriorating health conditions of thousands of political prisoners, including APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Naheeda Nasreen, Fehmeeda Sufi, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Ayaz Akbar, Pir Saifullah, Merajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq

Ahmed Dar, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, Mushtaqul Islam, Bilal Sidiqi, Molvi Bashir Irfani, Dr Hameed Fayaz, Abdul Ahmad Parra, Advocate Zahid Ali, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Dr Muhammad Shafi Shariati, Zaffar Akbar Butt, Ghulam Qadir Butt, Rafiq Ahmad Ganai, Umar Adil Dar, Saleem Nanaji, Muhammad Yasin Butt, Fayaz Hussain Jaferi, Firdous Ahmed Shah, Assadullah Parray, human rights defender Khurram Parvez, journalist Irfan Majeed, and others lodged in different Indian jails including Tihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and various prisons in IIOJK.  The eyesight of Mushtaqul islam worsened to the extent that he cannot see anything even at an arm distance. What is more agonizing is that the detainees are not provided with any medical facility. 

He said these prisoners are facing illegal detention under the black laws Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA)and many of them are in alarming health conditions, deprived of proper medical care and justice.  The APHC spokesman cautioned the international community, particularly the United Nations, that ignoring the volatile situation in IIOJK could prove as catastrophic as the crisis unfolding in the middle East due to the unresolved Palestine issue. 

He stressed that a just and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute is essential for lasting peace and stability in the territory.  Reaffirming the steadfast resolve of the Kashmiri people, the APHC said their morale remains high despite India’s brutal tactics and military oppression aimed at suppressing their legitimate struggle for freedom.  The spokesman added that India, under its nefarious Hindutva agenda, is attempting to convert the Muslim majority into a minority in the occupied territory.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)