Islamabad, August 17, 2021 (PPI-OT): The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has appealed to the Arab world, Muslim Ummah, and the international community to intercede and save the people of Jammu and Kashmir from this scourge of war, siege, and brutalization.

In an interview with an Arab TV network, he said since August 5th, 2019 when India once again invaded, reoccupied, and annexed the occupied territory to bring it under its direct control, the over eight million people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir are under brutal siege. The 900,000 troops deployed in the IOJK are operating with impunity and terrorizing the entire population of the occupied territory.

During this period, he said, the people have been subjected to brute force and violence. In addition to the arrest of the political leadership, thousands of youth and children have also been arrested.

“The people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are suffering immeasurably as they are getting killed and are being made aliens in their own homeland,” Khan said. He added that every day they (Indian troops) gun down and kill young men who raise slogans of freedom. So the situation in the occupied territory is very grave as massive human rights violations are taking place there.

The AJK President said that the Indian government is bringing Hindus from all over India and settling them in the territory to change the demographic composition of the region. They also are grabbing the land in the occupied territory to build illegal settlements there.

The President said that the demographic changes took place in the last century under Nazi Germany and the demographic change which is taking place in the occupied territory of Palestine, same is happening in Kashmir now. These are not just demographic changes but a massive influx of non-natives outsiders in the territory and yet the international community, the decision-makers, and the media persons choose to be silent and this kind of silence is complicity as matter of fact.

When asked to comment on Indian allegations of infiltration of militants from the Pakistani side of Kashmir, Masood Khan said President Masood Khan said India has erected a strong, tall, and thick fence along the Line of Control that separates two parts of Kashmir. The fence supported by various sensors integrated into it is not passable so the Indian allegation of any cross-LOC movement is unfathomable.

He further said that in the recent past there has been no cross LoC movement. People from AJK are not going into occupied territory because people inside of occupied Jammu and Kashmir are putting a peaceful resistance to attract the attention of the world.

“Kashmir’s freedom movement is peaceful and indigenous. It is led by hundreds of thousands of young men and women and in fact the entire citizenry of Kashmir of all ages,” he stated.

Tracing the history of the Kashmir liberation struggle, President Sardar Masood Khan said that the conflict dates back to 1947 when the majority of the people of Jammu and Kashmir through their elected representative decided to join Pakistan. The people of Kashmir, he said wanted to join Pakistan is because of the geographical contiguity, kinship, and historical ties with the people of Pakistan.

Their decision to join Pakistan, he asserted was also supported by the principles of independence plan devised by the then British Indian government but India occupied a part of the territory that remained under its occupation to this day. Since 1947 the Indian occupation forces are brutalizing the people of Jammu and Kashmir and have been killing them for demanding their freedom and liberty.

India, he said itself taken the Kashmir issue to the United Nations that had passed several resolutions pledging that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be given an opportunity in a referendum to exercise their political will to decide their political future. Now the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan are ready for that referendum, the United Nations has also been ready but India is blocking it.

For more information, contact:
President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
President Secretariat, Muzaffarabad Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Kashmir House, F-5/2, Islamabad
Tel: +92-582-2920401, +92-519-214692
Email: presidency@presidentajk.gov.pk
Website: https://www.presidentajk.gov.pk/