Srinagar, 13 Oct 2023: In the face of escalating violence and alleged human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Hurriyat parties have issued a stark call to global human rights entities to address and respond to the situation. According to the Kashmir Media Service, leaders from various political entities within the region have voiced grave concerns over what they describe as a relentless wave of “state terrorism” and unabated human rights violations, urging international intervention and support.

Advocate Arshad Iqbal, a leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), underscored the increasing frequency of what he identified as fake encounters resulting in the killing of Kashmiri youth by Indian forces. He framed this issue as reflective of the Narendra Modi-led government’s frustration and failure to suppress freedom movements and resistance within the population, asserting that brutality and barbarism have become the chosen means of inflicting suffering upon the populace through rampant, indiscriminate killings.

Sahfiq-ul-Haq, a leader from the Jammu and Kashmir National Front, highlighted the profound sacrifices of Kashmiri youth, who have steadfastly anchored the resistance movement, in their pursuit of freedom from what he referred to as Indian illegal occupation. He pointed to the sustained bloodshed, killings, and arbitrary arrests of civilians by Indian troops and police as stark contradictions to the normalcy narrative promoted by the Bharatiya Janata Party government within the IIOJK.

Simultaneously, Tehreek-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Chairman Fayaz Hussain Jaferi and Pairwan-e-Wilayat patron Syed Sibte Shabir Qummir jointly emphasized the deterioration of living conditions for Kashmiris due to alleged Indian state terrorism, war crimes, and human rights violations. They critiqued the Modi regime for avoiding the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, opting instead to attempt the stifling of Kashmiri voices through brute force and enacting settler colonialism within the territory.

In a collective message, leaders across the various parties emphasized that popular movements could not be quelled through military oppression, noting the resolute determination of Kashmiris to progress their struggle towards success. The leaders called upon the international community to bring to light the actions of the BJP government, pressuring New Delhi to facilitate the Kashmiri people in freely expressing their desires and needs.

Further concerns were highlighted by Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement leader Dr. Irfan Ahmed, and Jammu and Kashmir Social Youth Forum Chairman Maulana Musaib Nadvi, who articulated anxieties regarding the extensive detention of Hurriyat leaders, activists, and youth. They underscored that the cases against Hurriyat leaders, spanning four decades, have been used coercively to deter them from their dedication to demanding the right to self-determination.

A resolute appeal to the international community was emphasized across the statements, advocating for an active role in facilitating a peaceful resolution to the protracted Kashmir dispute.