Srinagar: Masarrat Alam Butt, the incarcerated Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has reaffirmed the Kashmiri demand for self-determination and freedom from what he describes as illegal Indian occupation. Speaking from Tihar Jail in New Delhi, Alam emphasized the enduring resistance of the Kashmiri people against Indian authority, a struggle he noted has persisted for 77 years.

According to Kashmir Media Service, “Masarrat Alam Butt conveyed that India’s control over Jammu and Kashmir has been maintained solely through military might.” He dismissed recent elections in the region as a manifestation of public dissatisfaction with the central government’s policies under Prime Minister Modi, asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds no legitimate claim to power in Kashmir.

Alam further clarified that while discussions about restoring statehood and Article 370 are ongoing, these issues are secondary to the primary goal of achieving full autonomy and self-determination in line with United Nations resolutions. He vowed that the Kashmiri struggle would continue unabated until their fundamental rights are recognized under international law.

Highlighting the international perspective, Alam argued that global views on Kashmir remain unchanged, seeing it as a disputed territory with a political future still to be determined, contrary to the narrative advanced by Indian authorities.