India using false flag ops in IIOJK to malign Kashmiris’ just struggle: Geneva seminar
APHC condemns arrest of three youth under draconian law in IIOJK
NC leader slams BJP for denial of political rights to people
GENEVA: Speakers at a seminar condemned India’s use of false flag operations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, describing it as a long-standing tactic to discredit the Kashmiris’ legitimate struggle and justify military crackdowns.
The seminar was organized by the International Action for Peace and Sustainable Development (IAPSD) held on the sidelines of the United Nations Human Rights Council session. The seminar brought together activists, academicians, political leaders, and legal experts from across the globe.
Notable speakers who addressed the event included the Convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter Ghulam Muhammad Safi, former AJK Minister Ch. Pervaiz Ashraf, Altaf Hussain Wani, and Sardar Amjad Yousuf. The panel was moderated by Dr. Saira Shah.
The speakers cited instances such as the abduction of six foreign tourists in 1995, the Chattisinghpora massacre of 2000, the 2019 Pulwama attack, and the recent Pahalgam incident as examples of India’s false-flag operations. They noted with concern that such incidents have been used by the Indian forces to justify harsh crackdowns and to discredit the Kashmiris’ peaceful struggle for right to self-determination.
They pointed out that the 1995 abduction of foreign tourists was used by the Indian state as an instrument to shape global opinion in its favor. “The book—The Meadow: Where the Terror Began—by investigative journalists Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark provides a detailed account of how the kidnapping was manipulated by Indian authorities to give a communal color to Kashmir’s resistance”, the speakers said.
“Similarly, the Chattisinghpora massacre was used to malign Kashmir’s indigenous struggle and the massacre was orchestrated at a time when then-US President Bill Clinton visited South Asia”, they observed. Later investigations indicated that the brutal killings of Sikhs were carried out by Indian agencies themselves, they said.
The recent attack in Pahalgam was highlighted by speakers as another example of false flag operations that nearly brought India and Pakistan to the brink of full-scale war. Highlighting its impacts on the people of Kashmir, they stated that New Delhi used it to intensify its crackdown in Kashmir. “Instead of launching a credible investigation, authorities conducted arbitrary detentions and carried out collective punishments against Kashmiris”, they remarked.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has expressed strong condemnation over the arrest of three youth in Sopore under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), calling it yet another example of the Indian government’s oppressive policies in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
According to the Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a statement issued in Srinagar, denounced the detention of Irfan Mohiuddin Dar, Mohammad Asif Khan, and Gowhar Maqbool Rather, labeling the PSA a ‘black law’ used to suppress dissent and muzzle voices of resistance in the territory.
Minhas also voiced deep concern over the arrest of two other youths by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Pahalgam. He said that Indian authorities are coercing these young detainees to make false statements in an attempt to malign the Kashmiri freedom movement and target Pakistan through fabricated narratives.
Condemning the recent killing of a youth in Udhampur by Indian forces, Minhas said that extrajudicial killings, staged encounters, arbitrary arrests, and frequent house raids have become a routine occurrence—especially since the illegal abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019.
He reiterated that the people of Kashmir reject India’s illegal occupation of the territory, emphasizing that Jammu and Kashmir remains a disputed territory as recognized by the United Nations, which has passed several resolutions calling for its final settlement through a plebiscite.
Minhas further stated that Indian forces are attempting demographic changes in the territory by targeting the Muslim majority and urged New Delhi to abandon its military-centric and communal approach. He reaffirmed that the Kashmiri people will continue their peaceful struggle for the UN-mandated right to self-determination.
The APHC called on the United Nations and global powers to intervene and ensure the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with international law and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
NC leader slams BJP for denial of political rights to IIOJK people
Senior National Conference leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra has strongly criticized the BJP-led Indian government for its prolonged denial of political rights to the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), particularly its failure to fulfill the promise of restoring statehood.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a statement in Jammu, Sadhotra said that the continued political disempowerment of the people of IIOJK has significantly hampered the territory’s development, hindered economic progress, and eroded the people’s trust in democratic institutions.
He stressed that the issue of restoring statehood to IIOJK is not merely a political demand but a fundamental right that transcends party lines, religious beliefs, regional identities, and caste divisions.
“The BJP can no longer hide behind vague statements made in Parliament. It must walk the talk. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve clarity and commitment, not empty assurances,” Sadhotra said.
He also reminded the Modi government of its own submission before the Indian Supreme Court, where it had assured that statehood would be restored to IIOJK.–Agencies
