Indian Supreme Court’s Verdict on Article 370 is Condemnable: APHC

In a unified and vehement response, leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) have strongly criticized the recent verdict of the Indian Supreme Court, which validated the Narendra Modi government’s controversial decision to abrogate Article 370. The article granted special status to the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian constitution. According to reports, jailed APHC leader Bilal Siddiqui, currently in Central Jail, Srinagar, asserted that the Indian judiciary consistently acts as a tool to legitimize India’s occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

Siddiqui pointed to historical instances, such as the death sentence of Muhammad Afzal Guru and the Babri Masjid case, as examples of the Indian Supreme Court endorsing what he described as “illegal, illegitimate, fascist, and communal acts” by various Indian governments. He emphasized that, when it comes to Kashmir, all major Indian institutions, including the judiciary, media, human rights commissions, and parliament, collaborate to curtail the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

APHC leaders Syed Bashir Andrabi, Khawaja Firdous, and Muhammad Shafi Lone issued a joint statement in Srinagar, denouncing the Supreme Court’s verdict as biased and aimed at perpetuating Modi’s Hindutva policies in the occupied territory. They labeled the decision a blatant violation of international laws and United Nations Security Council resolutions on Kashmir, vowing to persist in their struggle for the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Other APHC leaders, including Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, and Moulvi Musaib Nadvi, accused Modi of having a predetermined plan for the Supreme Court to unilaterally endorse its decision against international law. They highlighted the ongoing resistance against Indian occupation in Kashmir and stressed that the people of Kashmir neither accept India’s illegal occupation nor give credence to decisions made by its judiciary and parliament.

Vice Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peer Panjal Freedom Movement Qazi Imran and Vice Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Awami Party Imtiaz Ahmed Butte, in separate statements in Jammu, echoed the sentiment that the Kashmiri people neither accept India’s illegal occupation nor have faith in the decisions of its judiciary and parliament.

Tehreek Shubanul Muslimeen rejected the verdict in a statement, affirming the commitment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to continue their just struggle.

APHC-AJK leaders Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Muhammad Sultan Butt, Javed Ahmad Butt, Shaikh Yaqoob, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Manzoor Ahmad Shah, in separate statements in Islamabad, strongly condemned the Indian Supreme Court verdict. They argued that the decision illustrates the court’s role as a pawn in the hands of the Hindutva regime led by Narendra Modi, demonstrating the manipulation of the judiciary to further a nefarious agenda in Kashmir.