Islamabad: The convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Kashmir chapter, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, has asserted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statements regarding improvements in the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir are misleading and untrue.

According to a statement by Kashmir Media Service, Safi conveyed these views during a meeting with a delegation of Kashmiri refugees from the Mirpur division at the All Parties Hurriyat Conference office in Islamabad. The delegation was headed by Malik Muhammad Aslam.

Safi highlighted the deployment of over one million Indian troops armed with modern weaponry in the region as evidence contradicting Modi’s claims. He further criticized the Indian government’s appropriation of thousands of acres of fertile land from Kashmiri farmers for constructing railway lines, roads, and tunnels intended for military use.

Safi accused Modi of being responsible for the deaths of numerous Kashmiri youths, stating that the local population has no connection to the Prime Minister’s visit. He also criticized Modi’s administration for revoking the special status and state identity of the region on August 5, 2019, and imprisoning Kashmiris who demand freedom and justice.

During the meeting, participants paid tribute to the late Hurriyat leader Malik Abdul Majeed for his sacrifices in the Kashmir freedom movement and offered prayers for his eternal peace.

The delegation included Javed Minhas, Sardar Javed, Riyaz Jaral, Zafar Javed Jaral, Shakoor Mughal, Chaudhry Badar, and Chaudhry Asif. Other Hurriyat leaders such as Pervez Ahmed, Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, Mahmud Ahmed Saghar, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Shamim Shawl, and Sheikh Abdul Mateen were also present.

In a joint statement from Islamabad, Hurriyat leaders Qazi Imran, Khalid Shabbir, Imtiaz Butt, Abdul Rashid Butt, and Saleem Malik criticized the Indian Prime Minister and Defense Minister’s assertions about the region, labeling them as contrary to the reality on the ground. They reiterated the position that Jammu and Kashmir is illegally occupied by India, a stance not accepted by the Kashmiri people.

Moreover, Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, Chairman of Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, described the region as a “slaughterhouse,” accusing the Indian army of committing severe war crimes and large-scale human rights abuses. He claimed that the Indian forces are responsible for the deaths of 1.2 million Kashmiris.