Srinagar, The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and its affiliated leaders have paid solemn tributes to the victims of the Handwara and other massacres, predominantly executed by Indian forces in January in occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

According to Kashmir Media Service, on the 34th anniversary of the Handwara massacre, an APHC spokesperson in Srinagar recalled the harrowing events. The statement highlighted that Indian forces had fired indiscriminately on a peaceful procession in Handwara, where participants were advocating for their right to self-determination. On January 25, 1990, at least 21 unarmed Kashmiris were killed by Indian troops in Handwara. Just days earlier, on January 21, 1990, over 50 innocent people were killed and hundreds injured when troops opened fire on peaceful protesters in Srinagar’s Gaw Kadal area.

APHC leaders Shahid Saleem, Farooq Ahmed, Adv Arshad Iqbal, and human rights activist Ahsan Untoo, commemorating the victims, appealed to the international community, particularly the United Nations, to pressure India to conduct thorough investigations into these and other killings of innocent people.

APHC leader Farida Behnji, in her statement in Srinagar, emphasized the resilience of Kashmiris and called for global recognition of their struggle.

The January massacres refer to several tragic incidents, including the January 21, 1990, event where at least fifty individuals were killed during a peaceful procession at Basant Bagh, Srinagar. On January 25, 1990, in Handwara, 17 people were killed when BSF troops fired on peaceful protesters. Additionally, on January 27, 1994, a massacre in Kupwara resulted in the deaths of twenty-seven persons and injuries to 36.