Islamabad, The Convener of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter, Mehmood Ahmad Saghar, has formally addressed the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, highlighting the severe conditions faced by Kashmiri political prisoners in jails within both occupied Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India. Saghar’s communication specifically calls for attention to what he describes as the Narendra Modi-led government’s use of judicial measures as a form of terrorism against these detainees.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Saghar, in his letter to the UN chief, detailed the challenges faced by Kashmiri detainees, who, he argues, have been incarcerated merely for advocating a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. These individuals, he notes, are unjustly labeled as traitors and treated as criminals due to their political beliefs.
Saghar pointed out that thousands, including pro-freedom leaders, rights activists, journalists, lawyers, and businessmen arrested before and after the significant constitutional changes on August 5, 2019, remain in Indian prisons. He emphasized the cases of high-profile Hurriyat Conference leaders like Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, and Asiya Andrabi, all of whom have been subjected to sedition laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Highlighting the recent life sentence handed to Yasin Malik in New Delhi under charges he argues are politically motivated, Saghar expressed concerns over the potential for similar actions against other Kashmiri activists who oppose Indian policies on Kashmir. He criticized the Indian government’s routine use of anti-terrorism laws against political activists, deeming it a misuse of the judiciary to silence legitimate dissent.
Saghar described the treatment of Kashmiri prisoners and the imposition of capital punishments in dubious cases as “judicial terrorism,” accusing the Indian government of employing policies that not only oppress but also pose a significant threat to the lives of the Kashmiri people.
In his plea for UN intervention, Saghar appealed to Antonio Guterres for personal engagement in the issue, suggesting that such involvement could be crucial in protecting the lives of those at risk due to India’s judicial actions.