Pakistan slams Indian ban on two Kashmiri organizations

Pakistan has strongly condemned the decision by Indian authorities to declare the Awami Action Committee and Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen as ‘Unlawful Association’ for five years, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The Awami Action Committee is led by prominent political and religious leader 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 released in Islamabad on Wednesday, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said the recent Indian decision increases the total number of outlawed Kashmiri political parties and organizations to 16.

He further said “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). 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.”

The FO spokesperson urged the Indian government to remove the curbs on the Kashmiri political parties; release all the political prisoners; and faithfully implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

From Anwer Abbas