APHC condemns ban on Hurriyet parties in IIOJK

Expresses concern over Kashmiri detainees’ health condition

Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has condemned the frequent use of repressive and oppressive measures and illegal ban on Hurriyet parties by the authorities to suppress the Kashmiris’ legitimate demand for their inalienable right to self-determination recognised by the United Nations Security Council.

According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said banning peace and freedom-loving parties or attaching properties linked to them will not detach the Kashmiri people from their righteous demand for right to self-determination.

He said the fresh attempt of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Indian governments to further suppress Kashmiris by imposing a ban on jailed Masarrat Aalam Butt’s Muslim League in IIOJK is another act of brazen terrorism.

Earlier, India has imposed ban on jailed senior APHC leader Shabbir Ahmad Shah’s Democratic Freedom Party, jailed Yasin Malik’s Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Jailed Asiya Andrabi’s Dukhtaran-e-Millat and a prominent religious and social party Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir while this year the BJP regime had attached APHC head office in Srinagar for spearheading the movement for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

The APHC spokesman said that the denial of basic legal rights, medical treatment and other amenities had deteriorated the health conditions of the detainees, including Hurriyat leaders, youth and activists.

He said that dozens of political prisoners were killed in jails or during house detention, including Muhammad Maqbool Butt, Muhammad Afzal Guru, Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ghulam Muhammad Shah, Ali Muhammad Ahanger, Mushtaq Ahamad Butt and Zia Mustafa.

He urged the United Nations Human Rights Council and other rights organisations to take notice of the health condition of illegally detained Hurriyat leaders and activists, including, APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Fahmida Sofi, Naheeda Nasreen, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Merajuddin Kalwal, Dr Hameed Fayaz, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Bashir Ahmed Irfani, Bilal Siddiqi, Omar Adil Dar, Dr Shafi Shariati, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Ameer Hamza, Muhammad Yousaf Falahi, Shabir Ahmed Dar, Firdous Ahmed Shah, Jahangir Ghani Butt, Saleem Nanaji, Sajad Gul , Muhammad Yasin Butt, Shamsuddin Rehmani, Maulana Sarjan Barkati, Hassan Firdousi and Noor Muhammad Fayaz

The APHC spokesman urged the United Nations, European Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other influential member countries of the UN to help the people of Kashmir who are facing the wrath of a big military power, India, and living a miserable life under the shadow of a war.

Meanwhile, APHC constituencies, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Political Movement, Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Front and Jammu Kashmir Employees Movement in a joint statement issued in Srinagar strongly condemned the ban on Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League headed by illegally detained Masarat Alam Butt.

They appealed to the United Nations and the international community to play their role for peaceful settlement of the lingering Kashmir dispute. Before the ban on Muslim League, they said, Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party and Dukhtar Millat have been banned, which is nothing but the frustration of the Modi government.

The parties lamented that the Modi government also seized the headquarters of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in Srinagar in January this year but the BJP regime will never succeed in its nefarious designs by banning freedom-loving organizations and they will continue their resistance against the illegal Indian occupation.

APHC-AJK senior leader Ghulam Muhammad Safi in his statement in Islamabad, denouncing the ban on Masarrat Butt’s Muslim League Jammu and Kashmir, reiterated the Kashmiris’ resolve to jointly frustrate Modi’s nefarious designs. He urged the UN to intervene and impress upon India that ideas cannot be banned or jailed by resorting to militaristic approach.