Islamabad: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) has voiced a strong objection to the legitimacy of elections conducted under Indian administration in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the Kashmiri struggle is fundamentally about self-determination, not electoral participation under current conditions.

According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC-AJK Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi, during an interview in Islamabad, clarified that the sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people are aimed at achieving a United Nations-sponsored referendum, not participating in what he termed “so-called elections” orchestrated by the Election Commission of India. Safi emphasized that these elections are seen as fraudulent and deceptive, designed to legitimize Indian control rather than reflect the true will of the Kashmiri people.

He recounted historical attempts by India to establish sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir through the formation of a Constituent Assembly in 1957, which led Pakistan to seek intervention from the United Nations. The resultant UN Security Council Resolution No. 122 clearly stated that the decisions of such assemblies could not substitute for a plebiscite. Safi insisted that only a plebiscite conducted simultaneously in both Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian-occupied region, offering a choice between joining India or Pakistan, would be acceptable.

The APHC-AJK leader further criticized the electoral process in the region, alleging that it predominantly involves voters who are not indigenous residents but rather individuals from other parts of India granted domicile in Jammu and Kashmir. He described this as a major deceit, highlighting that the true Kashmiri populace rejects these elections and remains committed to exposing what he called “the ugly face of India.”