MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Indian Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday “banned” the Awami Action Committee (AAC), headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM), headed by Abbas Ansari, for the next five years.
The organisations were declared as “unlawful association” for their alleged anti-national activities, supporting terrorism and fuelling secessionist activities.
In a post on social media platform X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that these organisations were inciting people to disrupt law and order, posing a threat to “the unity and integrity of Bharat”.
The government’s move to ban the two religious organisations has evoked sharp response from Mirwaiz and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti terming the decision as “undemocratic.”
Pakistan on Wednesday denounced the decision by Indian authorities to declare the ‘Awami Action Committee’ and ‘Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen’ as ‘Unlawful Association’ for five years.
The ‘Awami Action Committee’ is led by a prominent political and Hurriyat chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The ‘Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen’ was also founded by another notable political and religious leader, Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari, who headed it till his demise in 2022.
In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that the recent decision to ban two organisations increases the total number of outlawed Kashmiri political parties and organizations to 16.
FO spokesperson said that banning of different political parties and organizations is yet another manifestation of the Indian authorities’ iron-fisted approach in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), adding, “it reflects a desire to suppress the political activities and stifle dissent. It also shows sheer disregard of democratic norms and international human rights law.”
