Srinagar, The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has acknowledged Pakistan’s unwavering political, diplomatic, and moral support as a significant source of encouragement for the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their pursuit of self-determination.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the APHC spokesman, in a statement from Srinagar, praised Pakistan Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar for echoing the sentiments of the Kashmiri people in his recent address to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. The spokesman emphasized that Pakistan has consistently sought a resolution to the Kashmir dispute in alignment with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant United Nations resolutions. However, the spokesman noted, India’s unyielding stance has been a major obstacle in realizing this goal. The APHC urged the international community to pressure India to engage in efforts to settle this long-standing dispute, which is crucial for ensuring lasting peace in the region.
In a related development, the APHC reported that the Central Jamia Masjid and Bemina Imambargah in Srinagar were locked for the tenth consecutive week, preventing people from offering Juma prayers. The authorities imposed these restrictions fearing that the congregations might lead to anti-India and anti-Israel demonstrations. Additionally, senior APHC leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and religious scholar Agha Syed Mohammad Hadi Al-Moosvi were placed under house arrest.
In other parts of occupied territory, Indian troops continued their cordon and search operations in Srinagar, Islamabad, Rajouri, and Poonch districts. Local residents reported instances of troops barging into homes and harassing inhabitants, including women and children.
Moreover, a protest demonstration in Bagh city, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was organized against the Indian Supreme Court’s verdict, which upheld the Modi government’s repeal of Kashmir’s special status. Demonstrators, led by the AJK chapter of the Jammu and Kashmir Pir Panjaal Movement, vociferously protested against India.
Meanwhile, in London, British lawmakers, activists, and peace advocates during a conference in Parliament criticized the Indian Supreme Court’s judgment on occupied Kashmir as contradictory to UN resolutions. They reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir is a UN-mandated disputed territory and India has no right to change its status unilaterally. The conference, hosted by Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK President Fahim Kayani and chaired by Paul Bristow MP, called on the international community to uphold its responsibility to facilitate a free and fair plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.