A delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) met Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Dr Muhammad Najib Khan and discussed the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), including the status of Hurriyat leaders and activists.
The meeting covered developments in IIOJK, alleged human rights violations, restrictions on political activities and freedom of expression, and efforts to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums.
According to a statement issued after the meeting, President Najib Khan said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was an internationally recognised issue and its resolution should reflect the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
He said Kashmiris should be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination and appreciated Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support for the Kashmir cause.
Dr Najib Khan said the unilateral measures taken on August 5, 2019, could not alter the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir or affect what he described as the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
He urged the international community to take notice of the situation in IIOJK and called for UN human rights bodies and international observers to be granted access to the territory to independently assess conditions there.
The AJK president also called for international attention to alleged human rights violations, arrests of political activists and Hurriyat leaders, and restrictions on freedom of expression. He urged the United Nations to fulfil its commitments regarding the Kashmir dispute and called on the international community to press for implementation of relevant UN resolutions.
APHC Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi and other Hurriyat leaders congratulated Dr Najib Khan on his election as AJK president and conveyed their best wishes to him.
Safi briefed the president on the latest developments in IIOJK and the challenges faced by Hurriyat leaders and activists. He said the Hurriyat Conference would continue its political and diplomatic efforts to raise the Kashmir issue internationally and advocate the right to self-determination.
The delegation included Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, General Secretary Advocate Pervaiz Ahmed Shah, Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, Sheikh Abdul Mateen, Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, Chaudhry Shaheen Iqbal and Information Secretary Imtiaz Wani.
Participants agreed to continue joint efforts involving the political leadership of Pakistan and AJK, the Hurriyat Conference and other stakeholders to highlight the Kashmir issue internationally and present the position of Kashmiri representatives.
Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly Chaudhry Tariq Farooq also attended the meeting.
