Karachi, Senior leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, have expressed profound sorrow over the recent killing of three civilians in the Poonch district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The incident, reportedly involving Indian troops, has sparked calls for a thorough investigation and renewed dialogue on the Kashmir dispute.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a statement from Srinagar, emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive investigation by relevant agencies and the accountability of those responsible. He lamented the continuous bloodshed in the region, which has persisted for decades, underscoring the loss of human life as a grave concern. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also highlighted his long-standing advocacy for dialogue and engagement as peaceful means to resolve the issues plaguing the region and to end the cycle of violence.
Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, also issuing a statement in Srinagar, echoed these sentiments. He condemned the civilian killings in Poonch and reiterated the importance of dialogue in addressing the Kashmir dispute. Expressing solidarity with the families of the victims, he stressed the necessity of peaceful resolution.
Other Hurriyat leaders, including Khawaja Firdous, Syed Bashir Andrabi, and Junaidul Islam, jointly condemned the killings. They accused the Indian soldiers of routinely engaging in the killing of innocent civilians through fake encounters and custody incidents in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The leaders criticized the Modi government for escalating atrocities in the territory, aimed at suppressing the Kashmiris’ struggle for self-determination. They called on the international community to recognize the alleged war crimes committed against Kashmiris and to take action.
The leaders highlighted the resilience of the Kashmiri people, asserting that the ongoing struggle for freedom would continue until it reaches its desired outcome. The recent siege and search operation in Bafliaz area of Poonch district, which resulted in the deaths of civilians Mahfouz Hussain, Muhammad Shaukat, and Shabbir Ahmed, was cited as a particularly egregious example of the violence faced by the Kashmiri population.
APHC leader Devender Singh Behl, in a statement from Jammu, stated that such acts of violence and rights violations would not deter the Kashmiri freedom movement. He affirmed that the people of Kashmir are committed to pursuing their cause to its logical conclusion, regardless of the challenges.