Islamabad: A new report indicates that over 5,000 Kashmiris, including leaders from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), human rights activists, journalists, and students, are currently detained under harsh conditions in India and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). These detentions are part of a broader crackdown on individuals advocating for Kashmir’s internationally recognized right to self-determination.
According to Kashmir Media Service, these detainees are being held under stringent laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Many have been placed in solitary confinement and are subjected to continued detention without trial, raising significant human rights concerns.
The report also details the transfer of more Hurriyat leaders and activists from IIOJK to remote prisons within India a strategy purportedly aimed at undermining their resolve and placing additional strains on their families, both emotionally and financially. This move is part of what the report describes as the BJP-RSS regime’s vindictive policies against Kashmiri dissent.
Furthermore, the report accuses the Indian regime of being responsible for the deaths of detained Kashmiri youths in staged encounters, noting the suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of prominent figures such as Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and Altaf Ahmed Shah while in custody. Other detainees, including Zia Mustafa from AJK’s Rawalakot and Tabarak Hussain, a mentally challenged resident of AJK, were allegedly killed by Indian forces during detention.
The APHC has called for the immediate release of all Kashmiri political prisoners and has urged the international community and human rights organizations to intervene. The coalition asserts that the Kashmiri people are engaged in a peaceful struggle for self-determination and condemns the Indian authorities for levying false charges against thousands of Kashmiris. The APHC’s plea extends to global entities to focus attention on what it calls the colonial practices in IIOJK, pushing for justice and accountability for the detained individuals.