8m people in IOK under harsher lockdown since August, says AJK president

Masood Khan urges British Kashmiris and Pakistanis to play their role for providing aid to people of Occupied Kashmir

BIRMINGHAM: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan said that more than eight million people in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) have been under much harsher lockdown since August 5, last year, which was suddenly and illegally imposed by over 800,000 Indian troops.

For the first time an online video conference, organised by the Tehreek-e-Kashmir United Kingdom, was held in Birmingham on Saturday over the current situation of the disputed territory following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. It was chaired by TeK President Raja Fahim Kayani while President Masood was the chief guest.

While addressing participants of the virtual session from his Presidency in Muzaffarabad, the AJK president said that the people in the Himalayan valley have been "completely disconnected from us and the rest of the world... not only their telephone and internet services have been shut down but they have been deprived of food and medicines"

"Every single outlet of provision and public life was closed for the people of Occupied Kashmir on that day [August 5, 2019]. People are dying with lack of food and medicine since then," the AJK president said, adding that the world has paid little attention to the people of the Himalayan valley and the dozens of United Nations resolutions about their right to self- determination.



The plight of people of Kashmir, he said, has further deteriorated with Covid-19 pandemic. "Now the world is under lockdown, it can understand better what the people of Occupied Kashmir have been going through during all those months."

President Masood went on to say that the UK government has been striving to provide us with every necessity but in Kashmir, the Indian army has been trying every brutal method of torture and killings as well as indiscriminate and ruthless shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) in AJK killing and injuring many innocent civilians.

He added that in these current times, instead of helping people of Occupied Kashmir, the Indian government has introduced new measures, under Domicile Law, to change the demographic status of IOJ&K.

"This reflects the true nature of the Indian government's cunning scheme and underlines the importance of urgent action to be taken by us to help the people of Occupied Kashmir," he said.



"I request your help and support to send food and medicines to IOJ&K. I request that you contact the British Foreign Office and United Nations seeking help to put in place the mechanism for aid to reach the people of IOJ&K. British Kashmiris and Pakistanis are ready and willing to support this effort in these difficult times. Your help and support will be appreciated and I look forward to your kind response."

The AJK president also appreciated the efforts of President Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK) UK Raja Fahim Kayani and his team they made for Kashmir cause since long in the UK and Europe.

The other participants of the conference unanimously appealed the world community to take the notice of rising human rights violations committed by Indian forces in IOJ&K during the Covid-19 break out in the region.