Revocation of article 370 unconstitutional, colonial-era move: Mushtaq Butt

ISLAMABAD, Aug 04 (APP): The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has termed India’s August 5, 2019 move to revoke Articles 370 and 35A as a blatant violation of constitutional, democratic, and international norms.
Talking to APP, APHC Information Secretary, Mushtaq Ahmad Butt called India’s said act a direct attack on the political, geographic, and human rights of the Kashmiri people.
He said the unilateral abrogation of Article 370 by the Indian government stripped the region of its semi-autonomous status without the consent of its people.
Article 370 had granted Jammu and Kashmir special constitutional status, including its own flag, constitution, and legislative autonomy. Article 35A provided exclusive rights to residents over land ownership, government jobs, and other privileges. The removal of these provisions, said Butt, was not only a legal betrayal but also a calculated move to erase Kashmir’s political identity, historical character, and demographic integrity.
“These actions were carried out under heavy military deployment, with a media blackout, communication restrictions, and mass arrests of political leadership—all of which point to a deliberate silencing of Kashmiri voices,” he said.
He warned that in the aftermath of the constitutional changes, thousands of non-local individuals have been granted residency rights, allowed to purchase land and seek employment in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK)—moves widely seen as part of a demographic engineering campaign aimed at reducing the Muslim majority into a minority.
“This amounts to a colonial-style occupation where local populations are being economically marginalized and displaced,” he said.
The region was also bifurcated into two federally administered territories, a step denounced as an assault on Jammu and Kashmir’s unity and historical identity. The youth have been deprived of employment opportunities, quality education, and development prospects, leading to widespread economic and social marginalization.
Butt emphasized that the people of Jammu and Kashmir immediately rejected the August 5 action, viewing it as a continuation of their long-standing struggle for dignity, identity, and the right to self-determination. “Thousands of youth, women, and elders continue to resist through peaceful means, despite facing arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and illegal property seizures,” he noted.
He asserted that the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination is enshrined in the United Nations Security Council resolutions and cannot be overridden by unilateral actions. “India’s August 5 decision violates international law, the UN Charter, and global human rights standards. The people of Kashmir neither accept this move nor will they surrender to it,” he stressed.
Butt concluded that the move reflects a colonial mindset aimed at denying the Kashmiri people their freedom and identity. However, he said, the unwavering resistance and sacrifices of Kashmiris are proof that the demand for self-determination remains alive and will continue until justice is achieved.
“This is a legitimate, lawful, and inalienable right, promised not only by the United Nations but also by India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who committed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be allowed to decide their future through a free and fair plebiscite,” he said.