Kashmir’s chief cleric and Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Friday said that the recent assembly election results in Jammu and Kashmir are a clear message against the Centre’s “unilateral decision” to abrogate Article 370 in August 2019.
File Photo of Mirwaiz Umar Faoorq/X
Kashmir’s chief cleric and Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Friday said that the recent assembly election results in Jammu and Kashmir are a clear message against the Centre’s “unilateral decision” to abrogate Article 370 in August 2019.
Addressing the largely attended Friday congregation at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, the Mirwaiz said that the people sent a “unanimous and clear message” that in every manner available to them, “they will resist attempts to subjugate and disempower them”.
“This time, through a consolidated ballot, they registered their strong disapproval of the drastic unilateral changes made in August 2019, since when they have been systematically disempowered, deprived, and their voices stifled”, he alleged.
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Mirwaiz said “I hope those voted to power are respectful of the voters’ message and fulfil the promise they made to restore the legal safeguards and the rights snatched from them in 2019. The ownership of our land and resources, the Constitutional commitments reneged on, our very identity, and dignity were further undermined by the 2019 Commandments”.
“While we (Hurriyat) peacefully strive for those rights never given to us for almost the last eight decades, for which we are constantly struggling and being sent to jails, we have been constantly appealing to the Government of India for engagement and the release of political prisoners which include political leaders, lawyers, human rights activists and youth”.
“As promised to the people, the incoming government should urgently take up the matter with the Government of India and help secure the release of all political prisoners and youth languishing in jails for years and decades, some even without trial,” he said.
”The medical condition of many prisoners in jail is very worrying. There is an urgent humanitarian need to reunite them with their families, so this matter demands immediate attention and should be addressed on priority”, the Mirwaiz added.
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