Former speaker of National Assembly Syed Fakhar Imam has condemned India's unilateral abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and international commitments made to the Kashmiri people.
In his statement marking Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, he said India has stripped the disputed region of its special constitutional status and is now altering its demographic identity, which is "illegal and immoral".
Imam cited the UN Human Rights Commission's past reports, which documented grave human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), including mass killings, injuries, sexual violence, and destruction of property.
He deman ded the immediate release of Hurriyat leaders like Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Musarrat Alam, and others who are "illegally imprisoned and denied fundamental rights".
He said the people of Kashmir have never accepted the Indian decision of Aug 5, 2019, and continue to resist with courage.
"Martyrs like Burhan Wani have become symbols of the freedom struggle," he added.
The leader lamented the inaction of the United Nations, which, he said, has failed to act against Modi-led India's "open defiance of global consensus and moral justice".
He asserted that the only reason a UN-mandated plebiscite hasn't taken place is India's fear of a clear Kashmiri vote for Pakistan.
"Today, IIOJK is the world's largest open-air prison," he said, accusing India of silencing dissent through repression, media censorship, and use of draconian laws.
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