Srinagar, The government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly employed stern measures, encompassing detentions and threats, to thwart residents of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) from orchestrating demonstrations condemning Israel’s occupation of Palestine and its subsequent actions in Gaza.
According to a news release by Kashmir Media Service, the planned protests were set to take place in every district capital throughout the Kashmir valley as well as selected areas of Jammu and Ladakh. These demonstrations were organized by local opposition groups, aiming to express their disapproval of the actions against the Palestinians by Israel in both Gaza and the West Bank. Responding swiftly, Indian police carried out a series of raids during which a substantial portion of the leadership from various regions was arrested. Notable detainees include PDP General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Lone, Additional General Secretary Agha Syed Mohsin, and every district president within the Kashmir valley. In the Jammu district, several socio-political figures were apprehended, spanning regions like Jammu, Samba, and Kathua. Nevertheless, in Kargil, a group comprising women and children were successful in organizing a demonstration in the Sankoo region to express their solidarity with Palestinians.
During a press conference in Srinagar, PDP media advisor Iltija Mufti posed a question to the Modi administration, inquiring about the rationale behind prohibiting protests aimed at condemning Israeli aggression against Palestinians. She further lamented that post the August 5, 2019, policy shift, residents of Jammu and Kashmir have been denied the right to voice their support for suppressed communities.
Additionally, a report issued by Kashmir Media Service, coinciding with United Nations Day, emphasized that Kashmiri individuals continue to await the enforcement of resolutions by the global organization, which would enable them to determine their political future via a plebiscite. The report underscores that the Kashmir issue, despite being a point of contention for over seven decades, remains an unresolved matter on the global stage.
In a related development, the Indian government has set up a tribunal, presided over by a Delhi High Court judge, seemingly aiming to validate its contentious decision to prohibit the operations of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, led by incarcerated senior APHC leader, Shabbir Ahmed Shah.
In a tribute to the deceased, members of the AJK civil society commemorated Zia Mustafa, who met his demise while in the custody of Indian forces in the Poonch district on this day in 2021. Zia Mustafa, originally from Rawalakot, AJK, had been detained at Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu since January 13, 2003. On October 24, 2021, he was reportedly extracted from the prison by Indian forces and met his end in what has been labeled a fabricated confrontation in the Mendhar area of the Poonch district.