Srinagar, The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has vociferously condemned the ban on the Jammu and Kashmir National Front (JKNF) by the Indian government, labeling it an explicit act of state terrorism within the contested region of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC’s spokesperson Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas articulated the organization’s denunciation of the ban, interpreting it as a continuation of the Indian government’s oppressive policies under the BJP leadership against pro-freedom factions in Kashmir. The prohibition comes amidst the long-standing detention of key APHC figure Nayeem Ahmed Khan and others since 2017, viewed by the APHC as part of India’s broader strategy to suppress dissent and divert global attention from its actions in the territory.
The narrative provided by Minhas further critiques the Narendra Modi administration for exacerbating tensions in Jammu and Kashmir as a political maneuver ahead of forthcoming elections, framing the ban on JKNF and similar organizations as a systematic assault on the Kashmiri populace’s aspirations for autonomy.
The APHC’s rebuke extends to the international community, urging entities like the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the European Union to censure India for its repressive measures against Kashmiri political entities advocating for self-determination in line with UN mandates.
Statements from Democratic Freedom Party’s Advocate Arshad Iqbal and APHC-AJK leaders, including Mehmood Ahmed Sahgar and Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, resonate with this sentiment, castigating the Indian government for its authoritarian tactics and the infringement of democratic rights in Kashmir. They assert that such suppressive actions will not quell the Kashmiri demand for their inherent social, religious, and political freedoms.
Altaf Hussain Wani of the APHC-AJK criticized the Indian government’s actions as a direct affront to democracy, underscoring the illegitimacy of applying Indian laws in the disputed region and advocating for global intervention to counter India’s suppressive regime in Kashmir.