Srinagar: Professor Abdul Ghani Butt, a senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has declared the elections conducted in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as lacking moral and legal legitimacy, stating that the region’s status should be determined by a UN-supervised plebiscite rather than elections held under Indian supervision.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Professor Butt articulated his views in a recent statement from Srinagar, emphasizing that historical elections in IIOJK were merely administrative and did not alter the disputed nature of the territory. He noted that international rejection of these elections as a substitute for self-determination is evident, citing a UN Security Council resolution which asserts that the IIOJK legislature lacks authority to alter the region’s disputed status.

Further, Professor Butt highlighted that the resolution of the Kashmir issue transcends electoral processes, which he described as flawed by attempts to change demographic balances and suppress cultural, moral, and economic integrity through intimidation and violence. He stressed that a just solution must involve respect for legal and human rights.

He also called for tripartite talks involving India, Pakistan, and the Kashmiri people, underlining the broader implications of the dispute on regional progress and global peace.