Pakistan condemns India's restrictions on Kashmiri organisations

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Pakistan has strongly condemned India's decision to label two prominent organisations in Indian-occupied Kashmir as “unlawful associations” for five years.

The AAC, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key figure in the Kashmir resistance movement, and the JKIM, led by the late Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari until his death in 2022, were both declared unlawful under Indian law.

The decision brings the total number of banned political parties and organisations in the region to 16.

“Pakistan denounces the Indian authorities’ decision to declare the AAM and JKIM as ‘Unlawful Association’ for a period of five years,” the statement said.

“The AAM is led by a prominent political and religious leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The JKIM was also founded by another notable political and religious leader, Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari, who headed it till his demise in 2022,” the statement continued.

The statement highlighted that the decision is an attempt to suppress political activities and stifle dissent in the region, disregarding democratic principles and international human rights standards.

Earlier this month, Pakistan rejected statements made by India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar regarding Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Jaishankar had called for the return of what he described as the “stolen part of Kashmir,” referring to AJK as being under “illegal Pakistani occupation.”