ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) has submitted an urgent appeal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, urging the world body to implement its resolutions recognizing Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a detailed letter, JKDFP Acting President Mehmood Ahmed Saghar highlighted the annual observance of January 5 as the Right to Self-Determination Day and drew attention to the “continuing deterioration of the political and human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, a UN-recognized disputed territory under India’s illegal occupation.”
Referring to the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) Resolution of January 5, 1949, Saghar stressed that “the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir shall be determined in accordance with the will of the people, expressed through a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations.”
Unresolved Kashmir dispute
He added that “77 years later, the unresolved dispute continues to pose a serious threat to the Kashmiri people, in addition to undermining peace and stability in South Asia.”
The letter describes the conditions in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a “living hell,” with civilians living under “the constant shadow of gun-wielding troops,” and accused Indian forces of conducting “fake and stage-managed encounters, cordons, and search operations” targeting unarmed civilians, particularly educated youth.
Saghar also condemned the intensification of operations following the Pahalgam attack, stating that “cordon and search operations are being used as pretexts to intimidate and harass the Muslim population across the Kashmir Valley.”
The JKDFP pointed out the targeting of social and political activists, journalists, and human rights defenders, noting that draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) are being used to silence legitimate political voices.
“Thousands of Kashmiris—including pro-freedom leaders, social activists, lawyers, and businessmen—arrested before and after August 5, 2019, continue to languish in Indian jails,” the letter noted.
The appeal further state that the Indian government is enacting laws aimed at “altering the region’s demography and depriving Kashmiris of their resources, identity, culture, lands, and their right to self-determination, guaranteed by no less an authority than the United Nations.”
Saghar urged the UN, as the custodian of international peace, to “take effective notice of Indian state terrorism and escalating human rights violations in Kashmir, and impress upon India to implement relevant UN resolutions to pave the way for a peaceful settlement of the long-standing dispute.”
