Srinagar: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a prominent leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has declared that local elections will not resolve the long-standing dispute over Kashmir, contested by Pakistan and India. His comments come amid ongoing tensions in the region following significant political changes.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz, who has been largely confined to house arrest in Srinagar for the past five years, shared his views in a phone interview with The Associated Press. He criticized the current electoral process in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the context of the Indian government’s 2019 decision to revoke the region’s special status under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.

Mirwaiz emphasized that the elections, which the Modi government has promoted as a “festival of democracy,” do not offer a genuine solution to the Kashmir issue. He argued that the process is flawed, as it occurs while political voices opposed to India’s rule are suppressed.

Furthermore, he pointed out that while authorities claim the elections will democratize the region after decades of conflict, many locals view them as a chance to voice their dissent against the 2019 amendments. These changes, they fear, could alter the demographic makeup of the region, undermining their cultural and political rights.