Senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has strongly condemned the arrest of 500 people during raids by Indian forces’ personnel across Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir a day ahead of Kashmir Solidarity Day observed on February 5 in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and abroad.  According to Kashmir Media Service, in a post on X, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, targetting and arresting innocent youth and their family members and relatives is unfortunate. 

In a tweet,he called the arrests “unprecedented” and urged the occupation authorities to release all the detainees immediately.   The crackdown followed Monday’s attack in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district where a retired India’s Territorial Army soldier was killed in an attack, apparently in a personal act of vengeance.  Meanwhile, political experts have described the fresh wave of arrests in IIOJK as yet another grim reminder of India’s systematic repression aimed at crushing the Kashmiri people's quest for freedom.   

By detaining hundreds, including professionals and activists, the Modi regime seeks to instill fear and eliminate any form of dissent. However, history stands witness that no amount of oppression can subdue the spirit of a people determined to reclaim their rights.   They urged the international community, particularly human rights organizations, to break their silence and hold India accountable for its escalating violations in Kashmir. The struggle for justice and self-determination will continue, undeterred by India’s draconian measures.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)