UN Urged to Address India’s Election Maneuver in IIOJK

Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, Acting Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, has called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to intervene against India’s purportedly deceptive state assembly elections in Indian-illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In his letter to the UNSG, Saghar condemned the worsening of fundamental freedoms and civil liberties in IIOJK. He pointed out that since India, under Narendra Modi’s government, revoked Kashmir’s special status in 2019, the region has seen a significant decline in human rights.

Saghar accused the Indian government of stifling dissent and targeting critics through human rights abuses such as excessive force, arbitrary detentions, and enforced disappearances. He criticized the state assembly elections as a sham, arguing they lack fairness and transparency. According to Saghar, these elections are a ploy by India to project an image of democracy, undermine the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination, and tighten its grip on the region.

He implored the UNSG to persuade India to honor the Kashmiri people’s fundamental rights and seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Saghar contended that these elections cannot replace a UN-supervised plebiscite, which is seen as essential for determining the region’s political future.

The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party asserts that the recent elections fail to address the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people. They maintain that only a UN-supervised plebiscite can accurately reflect the will of the Kashmiri people regarding their political status.

In his appeal, Saghar underscored that the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination is enshrined in various UNSC resolutions. Despite this, India’s denial of this right stands in contradiction to its democratic principles and the UN charter.

Saghar called upon global advocates of justice to support the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination and to pressure India to adhere to its international obligations concerning Kashmir. He stressed that international intervention is crucial in ensuring that the Kashmir conflict is resolved justly and peacefully.