The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has called for a complete shutdown in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, today (Friday) to protest against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, call for the strike has been announced by APHC spokesperson Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas in a statement in Srinagar. Other Hurriyat leaders and organizations, including Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Farida Behenji, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Peoples Freedom League and Tehreek-e-Wahdat-e-Islami, have supported the call.
The strike is meant to express Kashmiris’ rejection of all anti-Kashmir agendas of the BJP-led Hindutva government of India. The shutdown, as per APHC spokesman, is also intended to protest against India’s illegal occupation, and to reiterate the persistent demand for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute to foster peace in the region. Additionally, the strike emphasizes opposition to ongoing atrocities, illegal detentions, the revocation of Kashmiris’ political rights including Articles 370 and 35A, dismissals of Kashmiri government employees, and property seizures, he added.
The APHC has urged the people of IIOJK to observe the shutdown and protest against the oppressive policies of the Indian government.
Furthermore, the APHC condemned Modi’s visit, stating it is an attempt to mislead the international community about the real situation in IIOJK, which has witnessed unprecedented brutality under BJP rule.
He pointed out that the BJP-led Indian government was not only subjecting the Kashmiris to oppression and state terrorism but also insulting them by revoking their political rights. He said the entire world is well aware of India’s double standards. He stressed that the BJP regime’s dual approach, involving oppression and atrocities alongside deceptive economic packages, only exacerbates the suffering of Kashmiris.
The APHC has called upon the international community to take immediate action to resolve the Kashmir dispute, which poses a grave threat to peace and stability in South Asia, and exacerbates the suffering of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, calls for a strike in IIOJK against Modi’s visit have also gone viral on social media. Posters, urging occupied territory’s people to observe a shutdown on Friday, have been widely shared on various social media platforms. The viral posters have further amplified the call, mobilizing widespread support for the strike.—KMS
