Hurriyat Leadership Reaffirms Unyielding Resolve: Youth Vital to Resistance in IIOJK

A Movement Rooted in Sacrifice, Driven by Conviction

In a significant development, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) has reiterated its steadfast commitment to the cause of liberation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Addressing a youth delegation in Islamabad, Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi underscored the enduring relevance of the Kashmir freedom struggle, calling it a movement rooted in sacrifice and guided by unshakable principles. He stated in clear terms that the blood of the martyrs is a sacred trust, and any compromise on the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people would be a betrayal of history and humanity. “This movement is not a chapter of the past; it is a living, breathing call for justice,” he said.

Youth: Central Force in the Freedom Struggle

The crux of Safi’s address was a compelling message to the youth. He said that no struggle can succeed without the meaningful participation of young people identifying them as the lifeblood of the ongoing resistance. He stressed the need to channel their energy, ideas, and commitment into a well-organised, long-term strategy for international advocacy and grassroots mobilisation. This renewed focus on youth is timely, as India’s repression in IIOJK increasingly targets students, scholars, and young activists in a calculated effort to weaken the resistance.

A Challenge to Indian State Narrative

Safi’s remarks were a direct challenge to India’s carefully curated image of constitutional democracy, which he said collapses in the face of its actions in the occupied territory. The routine use of draconian laws, media censorship, mass detentions, and extra-judicial killings has revealed the deep institutionalization of state-sponsored oppression in IIOJK. The APHC, through continued engagement with civil society and media in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, seeks to expose this hypocrisy on international forums, ensuring that the issue of Kashmir remains a question of unresolved decolonisation, not an internal matter.

Failure of Global Conscience

The APHC leadership expressed disappointment over the deafening silence of the international community, particularly the Western powers, despite mounting evidence of gross human rights violations in the occupied territory. Reports by organisations such as the United Nations and Freedom House have highlighted India’s democratic decline and rights abuses, yet geopolitical interests continue to override moral imperatives. Safi vowed to continue APHC’s efforts to keep the Kashmir issue on the global agenda, countering disinformation with documented realities from the ground.

Unity and Strategy: Imperatives for the Future

The meeting was attended by youth leaders including Amir Abbasi, Sardar Ishtiaq Liaqat Awan, and Sajjad Ahmad Butt, who praised the APHC’s efforts to engage the next generation in the liberation movement. Also present was APHC-AJK Information Secretary Mushtaq Ahmad Butt, reinforcing the platform’s commitment to strategic coherence and intergenerational continuity. Safi called for national unity, urging all segments of society including political leadership, media, academia, and the diaspora to support the just struggle of the Kashmiri people.

Conclusion: Freedom is a Political and Moral Necessity

The APHC’s latest engagement underscores a deeper truth: the resistance in IIOJK is not a fading cause but a relentless quest for dignity and self-determination. Despite decades of occupation, the will of the Kashmiri people remains unbroken. As Safi aptly put it, the struggle continues not because of politics, but because oppression still rules their skies, streets, and speech. Until every form of Indian military presence is withdrawn, and the Kashmiri people are granted their right to self-determination as promised under international law, the voice of resistance will not be silenced. Hurriyat’s message is not one of despair; it is a call for justice, accountability, and freedom that the world can no longer afford to ignore.