Daily Times

Amidst the ongoing sham elections in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has emphasized the need for meaningful dialogue to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

According to Kashmir Media Service, in an interview with an Indian newspaper, The Hindu, Mirwaiz stressed that elections cannot replace the resolution process and that the Hurriyat will always support engagement with the sentiment and deliberations on Kashmir.

The APHC leader highlighted the territory’s complexities, noting that Kashmir remains a political and human issue, divided between India, Pakistan, and China. He questions whether India can withdraw from previous bilateral agreements with Pakistan on Kashmir and whether China will back out.

Mirwaiz also addressed the New Delhi’s claim that the Hurriyat no longer exists in Kashmir, stating that the organization represents the sentiment and will of the people. “A severe clampdown was launched in 2017 and all senior Hurriyat leaders were put behind bars and booked under the UAPA despite they being political leaders. In another round of arrests prior to 2019, scores of Hurriyat activists and members were arrested and incarcerated. In August 2019, the crackdown intensified and lower rung members were also arrested and I was put under house detention. Till date all of them are in jails. Most of the Hurriyat constituents were banned under the UAPA and continue to be so”. So naturally due to such harsh measures the Hurriyat will not be as strong as it was before 2019. But the sentiment on the ground remains exactly the same as it was prior to 2019. People not sentiment can be caged. And as long as the sentiment exists Hurriyat exists.”

“As we speak, thousands of youths remain in jails, leadership is behind bars, locals are dismissed from government service, people’s properties are attached on government orders. Also, land, jobs and our resources have been opened to outsiders. There is a complete crackdown on local press and freedom of expression. Putting the fundamental rights to liberty and freedom in abeyance in Kashmir and terming it peace and normalcy is a wrong portrayal of the realities on ground. Peace cannot be enforced but achieved with the consent of people. What these measures reflect is a policy of intimidation and dis-empowerment, which is an unsustainable approach,” he said.

The Kashmiri leader emphasized that peace cannot be enforced but achieved with the consent of the people. He urged the powers involved to view Kashmir as a humanitarian issue, seeking a peaceful and dignified approach towards the region.

He disputed the Modi regime’s claims of improved situation in IIOJK, citing crackdown on press, freedom of expression and people’s silence due to fear.