In an attempt to showcase a false sense of normalcy in internationally-acknowledged disputed occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India has invited around 20 foreign diplomats from prominent countries to witness the sham elections in the territory.
According to a Kashmir Media Service report on Monday, the move is seen as a deception, with diplomats protesting India’s repeated denials of permission for earlier visits. Critics question the credibility of elections, especially after Kashmir’s special status was revoked in August 2019, leaving many Kashmiri leaders, youth, women, clerics, lawyers, human rights defenders and journalists imprisoned. They describe the visit as a “guided tour” to mislead the international community, which remains skeptical.
A diplomat from a P5 country protested India’s repeated denials of permission for earlier requests to visit the territory. Another diplomat declined the invitation due to unclear scheduling and restricted access. Critics ask how an election can replace a UN-promised plebiscite to determine the political future of the Kashmir dispute, as UN resolutions clearly state that elections cannot resolve the Kashmir dispute.
Meanwhile, Indian troops continued cordon and search operations in several areas of Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch districts for the third consecutive day, today. The Congress party has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party for promoting independent candidates to create chaos and uncertainty in the upcoming occupied Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra slammed the Hindutva party for using Jammu and Kashmir as an “experimental lab” for political gambits.
India-China border tensions escalated as Delhi launched night operations in Ladakh’s high-altitude areas using Dhruv helicopters. On the other hand, protests erupted in New York against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, with protesters condemning his government’s involvement in killings in Indian occupied Kashmir and other parts of the world, including Canada and the US. Slogans such as “Freedom for Kashmir!” and “Stop Modi’s Brutality!” echoed through the streets. The protest was organized by Friends of Kashmir International.
Separately, Kashmiri leaders gathered at Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai’s residence in Virginia to strategize efforts to highlight the plight of Kashmiris during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly session in New York.