In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, senior leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Shabbir Ahmed Shah has urged the international community to play its due role in resolving the Kashmir dispute peacefully in line with the UN Security Council resolutions. In his message from New Delhi’s infamous Tihar Jail, Shabbir Ahmad Shah while extending his new year greetings to people across the globe said, “As the Kashmir dispute enters into its 76th calendar year, it is the responsibility of the UN and all the influential world powers to play their role for a peaceful settlement of the lingering dispute awaiting final settlement for the past many decades”.

Terming Kashmir as one of the oldest unresolved disputes, Shah said that despite the lapse of 75 years the world remained blithely unconcerned over the plight of Kashmiris who have been braving the brunt of India’s prolonged military occupation. Voicing his serious concern over the continued illegal and forcible occupation of the territory by India, the APHC leader said it was quite unfortunate that Kashmiris were being victimizing merely for demanding the implementation of the UNSC resolutions that guaranteed them the right to self-determination.

Referring to the fast deteriorating situation in the held territory, Shabbir Ahmed Shah pointed out that the extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, ill- treatment of women, ban on political activities and violation of all basic human rights by Indian troops had become a new norm in the held territory. He urged the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to take immediate notice of the systematic genocide of the Kashmiris by the Indian forces in Kashmir and put pressure on India to give the Kashmiri people the right to decide their political future by themselves.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP