Brussels: Ali Raza Syed, Chairman of the Kashmir Council Europe, has accused India of attempting to establish a ‘puppet assembly’ in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) through what he called an “election drama.” He claims that the move is an effort to legitimize India’s control over the disputed territory.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Ali Raza Syed issued a statement in Brussels condemning India’s 2019 decision to revoke Article 370 and 35A, which had granted IIOJK special status. The revocation allowed non-Kashmiris to buy land and settle in the region, thus potentially altering its demographic composition. Syed criticized these changes as a strategy to manipulate the population balance in favor of India.

He further alleged that India is deceiving the international community by conducting assembly elections in the region amidst the presence of one million troops and restrictions on freedom of expression and independent media. Syed highlighted the continued imprisonment of key Kashmiri leaders including Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, and human rights defender Khurram Parvez, questioning the legitimacy of any elections held under such conditions.

Syed dismissed the notion that elections directed by India could serve as a resolution to the Kashmir issue. He argued that these elections do not equate to granting Kashmiris their right to self-determination. Instead, he called for a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to allow the people of Kashmir to decide their future. He reiterated that India’s occupation of Jammu and Kashmir is deemed illegal by many Kashmiris, who refuse to acknowledge it as legitimate.