ISLAMABAD, Apr 24: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has called on the United Nations and international rights groups to urge India’s BJP-led government to free Kashmiri political detainees, including Hurriyat leaders, alleging they are held on politically motivated charges in poor prison conditions.

According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesperson Abdul Rashid Minhas voiced deep concern over the condition of Kashmiri detainees, many of whom have remained imprisoned for over two decades in various
jails.

The statement also denounced what it described as a long-standing fabricated case against senior APHC leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah, calling it an example of political targeting.

It further alleged that the BJP-led Indian government is persecuting Kashmiri prisoners for opposing its control over the region, while depriving them of basic rights, including access to proper food and medical treatment.
The APHC spokesman said reopening what he termed “fabricated cases” was an attempt to extend the detention of Kashmiri leaders and activists and to suppress political dissent in the region.

He expressed concern over detainees who have spent decades in prison, naming several individuals including Mohammad Qasim Fakhtoo and Ghulam Qadir Butt among others.

He added that people in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir take pride in Hurriyat leaders and activists, whether imprisoned or continuing their efforts for a peaceful resolution of the dispute in line with UN resolutions.
The APHC urged António Guterres and organizations including Amnesty International, International Committee of the Red Cross and Human Rights Watch to press for the release of detainees and a resolution of the Kashmir issue.