ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter has written to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, drawing attention to the Narendra Modi-led Indian government’s attempts to mislead the world by staging parliamentary elections in the UN-recognized disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a Kashmir Media Service report issued today, in the letter, the APHC-AJK Convener said that despite the suspension of fundamental freedoms and widespread human rights abuses, India is attempting to project a facade of democracy.
The letter, written on behalf of the Kashmiris, said, “India is using these elections as an instrument to project a facade of democracy and de-legitimate the Kashmiris’ peaceful struggle for right to self-determination”.
It said, the Kashmiris have largely boycotted previous elections, seeking permanent solution to the conflict, adding the international community has also raised concerns about the legitimacy of these elections and called for a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
The letter highlighted the alarming deterioration of fundamental freedoms and civic space in occupied Jammu and Kashmir since India’s apartheid regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped the region of its special status in 2019. Over the past five years, the Modi government has targeted critics, including civil society groups, human rights defenders, and independent media, to crush dissent in the territory, it adds.
The APHC-AJK convener urged the UN chief to take immediate action to address the situation in the occupied territory, adding, “It’s important to note that the situation in Kashmir is complex but the Indian government, notwithstanding the harsh ground realities, is unabashedly engaged in painting a sort of “all is well” portrait of Kashmir-the region where chaos and uncertainty reigns supreme”.
He called for a UN-supervised plebiscite to determine the Kashmiri people’s political fate. The letter also demanded an end to human rights abuses, the release of political prisoners, and inclusive dialogue to resolve the lingering dispute peacefully.
