IIOJK Observes Complete Shutdown Over Waqf Act and Domicile Row

A massive protest is sweeping across IIOJK today, as residents prepare for a complete shutdown against controversial policies reshaping the region’s identity.

A full-scale strike is being observed across Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on today, April 25, in strong opposition to the Waqf Amendment Act and the mass distribution of domicile certificates to non-locals, which many see as a demographic invasion of the Muslim-majority territory.

The call for the shutdown comes from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), whose spokesperson, Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, issued a firm statement from Srinagar reiterating public support for the strike. The APHC also called for a symbolic march towards Dargah and Jamia Masjid to protest these policies.

Minhas described the Waqf Act as a direct attack on the political, religious, and cultural identity of Muslims in IIOJK and across India. He warned that such moves threaten to erase centuries-old traditions and marginalize the Muslim community further under the current regime.

Highlighting the ongoing Kashmir freedom movement, Minhas emphasized that the resistance is indigenous and rooted in the internationally recognized right to self-determination. He criticized the Indian government’s unilateral decisions, such as the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A, calling them unconstitutional and unacceptable to the people of IIOJK.

He appealed to the international community and the United Nations to intervene and hold India accountable for violating UN resolutions on Kashmir, as well as agreements like the Indus Water Treaty. According to Minhas, India’s “might is right” approach sets a dangerous global precedent, undermining international law and justice.

Minhas further urged the UN to send a fact-finding team to investigate long-standing allegations of human rights abuses and massacres in the region. He also condemned recent attacks, including one on tourists in Pahalgam, demanding a thorough probe into such incidents.

Earlier today, protest posters by the APHC were spotted across various districts of IIOJK. These posters call on the public to resist what is seen as the Modi government’s agenda to alter the region’s demography through a calculated settlement strategy.

The messages, widely shared on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, aim to galvanize public participation in the IIOJK strike, encouraging a united stand against the Indian government’s policies.

As tensions mount, Today’s strike is expected to send a strong message from the streets of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to the global stage, demanding justice, dignity, and the right to self-determination.