JKSM chairman condemns BJP actions against Kashmiri leader

Altaf Ahmad Bhat, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM), on Thursday strongly condemned the recent actions taken by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) against senior Kashmiri leader Muhammad Akbar Bhat in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The provisional attachment of properties worth Rs50 million under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was perceived as an attempt by the Modi-led BJP government to suppress the legitimate freedom struggle of Kashmiris.

In response, Bhat dismissed all allegations as baseless, stating that the actions of the ED were an attempt to tarnish the image and undermine the noble cause of the ongoing Kashmiri freedom movement.

He asserted that both he and his elder brother, Muhammad Akbar Bhat, have been active participants in the right of self-determination movement since childhood.

Bhat explained that he had been forced to leave Srinagar due to targeting by the Indian military establishment, establishing a business in Pakistan to support needy students from IIOJK. He emphasised his unwavering commitment to the education of youth and the rehabilitation of displaced people in IIOJK despite the challenges he and his family face in IIOJK.

Read also: Façade of normalcy exacts ‘heavy price from’ IIOJK people

Regarding Al Jabbar Trust, Bhat clarified that it was established for charitable purposes, aiding those in need, particularly students and widows in IIOJK.

“During the 2014 flood in IIOJK our family in Srinagar extended assistance to the affected individuals through the donations of local businesses community and other family members who paid from their own businesses. However, Indian military establishment imposed unwarranted restrictions, leading to the halt of operations, and Al Jabbar Trust was closed in 2015 by Indian authorities significantly hampering our ability to provide timely aid during the time of crisis in IIOJK.”

Bhat said he personally contributed in numerous initiatives, including aiding thousands of people during the Covid-19 pandemic both in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and IIOJK. However, education of the needy and destitute students of IIOJK remained his top priority, saying the financial assistance provided to the students was from his own business profits.

Bhat criticised the recent actions of the ED, attaching properties of his elder brother, Muhammad Akbar Bhat, who has been in an Indian jail since August 2019, and accusing him of money laundering. He deemed the charges baseless and propaganda, highlighting the Indian government's use of agencies to target those associated with the right of self-determination movement.

Read: Pakistan reiterates support for IIOJK people

“It is regrettable that the Indian government is using its agencies under the supervision of Indian Army to target those associated with Kashmiris’ right of self-determination movement under the guise of different investigations including financial irregularities which is a bid to hoodwink the world on the current situation of IIOJK, where all political leaders along with Yaseen Malik, Shabir Shah and other thousands political workers are languishing in jails.”

Bhat added that the timing of these actions and framing of charges against political leaders and pro freedom workers for alleged irregularities in selling Pakistani MBBS seats in IIOJK is ample proof of how India is trying to defame the struggle of the right of self-determination and the people associated with it.

The JKSM chairman called upon the international community to take note of the unjust actions by the BJP government, urging them to protect the basic human rights and aspirations of the Kashmiri people who have been fighting for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions that granted the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people.

He emphasised that the Kashmiri movement would remain steadfast in its commitment to seeking justice and self-determination, despite attempts at suppression.