Srinagar, Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) have criticized India for employing brutal tactics to suppress the voice of the Kashmiri people in their struggle for freedom in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC leaders, including Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Syed Bashir Andrabi, Khawaja Firdous, Muhammad Shafi Lone, Farida Bahenji, Yasmeen Raja, Fayyaz Hussain Jafari, Syed Sibte Shabbir Qummi, Abdul Samad Inqilabi, Muhammad Aaqib, and Israr Ahmed, issued statements in Srinagar condemning the Narendra Modi-led Indian government’s tactics. They cited the use of draconian laws, policies, and unlawful practices to quell dissent in the region.

The leaders pointed out that since the revocation of IIOJK’s special status in August 2019, there has been an increased restriction on space for dissent, with the Indian government denying basic rights to the Kashmiri people. They described the atmosphere in occupied Kashmir as one of fear and terror, causing suffocation among the Kashmiris.

The APHC leaders argued that popular movements cannot be defeated through suppression and oppression. They emphasized the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, as guaranteed by the United Nations through its resolutions. The leaders asserted that Modi’s government cannot stop the Kashmiris’ quest for freedom by silencing their dissent.

They called on the international community to pressure India to allow the Kashmiri people to decide their political future independently. This appeal underscores the ongoing struggle in Kashmir and the demand for international attention to the region’s contentious political climate.