Islamabad: Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, emphasized the critical role of Kashmiris living abroad, particularly in the United States, in bringing international attention to the escalating crisis in Occupied Kashmir. During a meeting with members of the Kashmir American Council at Kashmir House, he detailed the severe conditions under which Kashmiris are living, contradicting the narrative of normalcy promoted by India through recent electoral exercises.
According to President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the situation in Occupied Kashmir has deteriorated significantly since August 5, 2019, with ongoing large-scale oppression by Indian forces. He highlighted the stark realities, including daily violence against Kashmiris, unjust imprisonment of Hurriyat Conference leaders, and the intentional shortening of Kashmiri lifespans through oppressive policies. The President pointed out that despite India’s efforts to showcase normalcy through staged elections, the actual conditions are of extreme hardship and violation of human rights.
President Chaudhry’s remarks underscored the urgent need for Kashmiris in the diaspora, especially those in America, to use their position and the proximity to international bodies like the United Nations, to advocate effectively for Kashmir. He called on the delegation to organize demonstrations in front of the United Nations in the United States to expose the severe situation in Occupied Kashmir and counter India’s narrative of normalcy. He urged overseas Kashmiris to amplify their voices to aid in granting the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination in accordance with United Nations resolutions and to halt the Indian atrocities in the region.