Srinagar: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, declared that the recent assembly election results in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) represent a significant dissent against the revocation of Article 370 by the BJP-led Indian government.

According to Kashmir Media Service, during his address at the congregation at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz conveyed that the election results reflected a unanimous and clear message from the people. He explained that the electorate utilized their votes to decisively reject the August 2019 changes which, he claimed, had led to systematic disempowerment, deprivation, and stifling of the local population.

Mirwaiz expressed optimism that the IIOJK administration would respond to this electoral message by reinstating the legal protections and rights removed from the Kashmiri people in 2019. He underscored the undermining of local ownership of land and resources, constitutional commitments, and the dignity and identity of the Kashmiri people, insisting on the necessity for the new administration to address these issues.

Furthermore, Mirwaiz called for the immediate release of political prisoners, including lawyers, human rights activists, and youth detained for years without trial, highlighting the humanitarian need to address their deteriorating health conditions and reunite them with their families.

He also urged the repeal of laws he described as draconian, such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Public Safety Act, and reiterated the Hurriyat’s commitment to a peaceful struggle for the rights that have been denied for decades. Mirwaiz appealed to the newly elected representatives in IIOJK to act swiftly on these pressing issues.