Islamabad, Pakistan has officially condemned the Indian government’s decision to ban the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir (TeH) as an “unlawful association” for a five-year period. This move marks the second ban on a Kashmiri political party under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in less than a week, raising the total number of prohibited Kashmiri parties to six.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the TeH, founded by the late Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who died in 2021 under house arrest, is the latest to face prohibition. The statement criticizes the Indian authorities for their handling of Geelani’s death, alleging that his body was forcibly taken and his family and friends were barred from attending his funeral.
Pakistan’s government asserts that the banning of these parties is part of India’s ongoing efforts to suppress the Kashmiri people, stifle dissent, and maintain control over the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). It argues that such actions are a clear violation of democratic principles, international human rights, and humanitarian laws.
The statement concludes with a call for India to lift the bans on all unlawfully outlawed political parties in IIOJK. It urges respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people, the release of all political prisoners and dissenters, and the faithful implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.