The upcoming so-called elections in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are nothing but a facade, aimed at projecting a false sense of normalcy under military and police threat.

With around one million occupation forces personnel present and a ban on Hurriyat organizations, civil society activists and experts in Srinagar say the elections lack legitimacy. The leadership of Hurriyat organizations, including All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, and other top leaders, are in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail, while Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is intermittently under house detention.

‘This raises questions about the elections’ credibility,’ said civil society activists. ‘How can these elections truly represent people’s aspirations and embody genuine democracy?’ India’s sole intention, they argue, is to legitimize its August 2019 illegal actions and fortify its occupation by holding election dramas, misleading the world about the territory’s real situation.

The activists maintain that election candidates fail to reflect the true desires of the Kashmiri people, instead furthering Indian Hindutva and occupation agendas. In contrast, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference embodies the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, leading the effort to resolve the Kashmir dispute in line with UN resolutions. Detaining APHC leaders will not sever the Kashmiri people’s commitment to their representation.

Kashmiris remain resolute in advancing their freedom struggle, seeking a UN-sanctioned plebiscite, not election dramas.