The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) has voiced deep concern over the grim political and human rights situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the deploring plight of Kashmiri prisoners languishing in jails within and outside the occupied territory. According to Kashmir Media Service, DFP spokesman Advocate Arshad Iqbal, in a statement issued in Srinagar, said India continues to use violence as a tool of war to crush the Kashmiri people's legitimate struggle for their UN-mandated right to self-determination.

He called upon international human rights organizations to take urgent notice of the worsening rights situation and press India to end its reign of oppression in the disputed territory. Denouncing the continued illegal detention of Hurriyat leaders, human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society activists arrested before and after August 5, 2019, the spokesman said that the brutal crackdown reflects New Delhi’s authoritarian mindset. 

He expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health condition of incarcerated DFP Chairman Shabbir Ahmad Shah and other Hurriyat leaders including Muhammad Yasin Malik, Dr. Hameed Fayaz, and Bilal Siddiqi. “Denying ailing detainees the right to proper medical care and specialized treatment is not only inhumane but also amounts to war crimes,” the spokesman warned. The DFP urged global rights watchdogs including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to take practical steps for the release of all illegally detained Kashmiris, particularly those suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)