1. The Narendra Modi-led Indian regime has further tightened restrictions in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Srinagar, ahead of a carefully orchestrated visit by foreign delegates.
2. According to Kashmir Media Service, the restrictions – including intensive checking and frisking, pervasive surveillance through drones, and the deployment of heavy army and paramilitary forces – have eroded civil rights and liberties during the second phase of the so-called assembly elections. These measures have created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, raising questions about the BJP regime’s commitment to democratic values and human rights in the territory.
3. In a relevant development, posters appearing across occupied Jammu and Kashmir have condemned the visit, stating that the Modi regime is misleading the world with a staged tour. This move is seen as an attempt to mask the grim reality of human rights abuses and the ongoing struggle for self-determination in the territory.
4. Senior APHC leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a media interview in Srinagar stressed that elections cannot replace the resolution process for the Kashmir dispute. Questioning whether India can withdraw from previous agreements with Pakistan, Mirwaiz emphasized the need for meaningful dialogue to resolve the issue. He noted that despite the severe clampdown on Hurriyat leaders and activists, the sentiment for freedom on the ground remains unchanged. He refuted the Modi regime’s claims of improved situation in the occupied territory, citing the crackdown on press, freedom of expression, and assembly of people. He pointed out that thousands of youths remain in jails, leadership is behind bars, locals are dismissed from government service, and people’s properties are attached on government orders.
5. The BJP regime has suspended 21 government employees and five casual laborers in occupied Jammu and Kashmir on fabricated charges. This move is part of the occupation regime’s ongoing policy to intimidate, suspend, and terminate Kashmiri employees on false grounds.
6. A 32-year-old Kashmiri prisoner, Bilal Ahmad Kuchey, died in Indian police custody in Kishtwar district. Bilal was falsely implicated by India’s National Investigation Agency in a 2020 a suicide attack on a paramilitary convoy.
7. Kashmiri leader, Altaf Hussain Wani, in a joint communique to foreign diplomats cautioned them against India’s restrictions on accessing local populations and human rights victims, urging support for a UN fact-finding mission, international monitoring of violations, and the release of detained political leaders and activists. KMS