The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Pakistan chapter has expressed deep concern over the prolonged detention of Kashmiri leaders and activists in Indian prisons, urging international bodies to intervene for their release.
In a statement issued in Islamabad, APHC Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi said that many Kashmiri political detainees have been imprisoned for decades and face harsh conditions, including solitary confinement and limited access to medical care. He said these practices violate international human rights laws.
Safi stated that the detained leaders’ only demand is the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, a principle acknowledged by the United Nations. He recalled that India had taken the Kashmir dispute to the UN 77 years ago and had pledged that the people of Kashmir would be allowed to decide their future through a plebiscite.
He said that instead of fulfilling its commitment, India has kept political leaders in jail on what he described as fabricated charges. Many of them are ailing and have not been provided adequate medical treatment, he added.
The APHC called on the United Nations, the European Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and international human rights organisations to press India to release all Kashmiri political leaders and activists, end political repression in Jammu and Kashmir, and grant the right to self-determination in line with UN resolutions.
Safi warned that continued silence by the global community was aggravating the situation and posed a threat to regional and international peace. He stressed that the Kashmir dispute was not only a territorial issue but also one of human rights, justice and dignity.
The APHC appealed to the international community to take urgent steps for the release of detained Kashmiri leaders and activists and to support efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute according to UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
