Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League (JKPFL) has expressed strong disapproval of the Indian authorities’ decision to attach properties owned by Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, a Senior Hurriyat leader and Chairman of JKPFL, in Bandipora district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a statement by JKPFL spokesman Muhammad Umar, the move is seen as irrelevant to the present situation in the region and violates international humanitarian law. He described the First Information Report (FIR) against Rehmani as “false and fabricated,” asserting that it is intended to intimidate the people of Kashmir.

Umar criticized the Modi-Amit Shah government, claiming it lacks the moral and democratic legitimacy to govern the territory. He suggested that the authorities’ actions are born out of frustration and failure, and emphasized that such measures will not deter Kashmiris from their peaceful pursuit of freedom and self-determination, as outlined in United Nations resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

Since the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, the Indian government has increased efforts to confiscate properties from Kashmiris, allegedly to transfer ownership to non-Kashmiri Hindu settlers, a move perceived as part of a demographic re-engineering strategy.

The JKPFL spokesman urged constitutional lawyers and human rights organizations to address these ‘illegal and baseless’ actions, and called on the international community to hold India accountable for ongoing human rights violations in the region.

The properties of Rehmani, attached on March 28, include 33 kanals of land and a residential house, with a combined value of over Rs 7 crore INR, as reported by the Kashmir Media Service.