APHC urges UN and global bodies to halt India’s settler-colonial plans in IIOJK before 2027 census

ISLAMABAD, Apr 3 (APP):The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has called on the United Nations and international human rights organizations to intervene and halt India’s alleged settler-colonial policies in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), especially ahead of the 2027 census.

            According to the Kashmir Media Service, the 2027 census in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) will be conducted in two phases, from June 1 to June 30, across the territory.

                APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a statement from Srinagar said that since August 2019, the Indian BJP government has introduced a series of stringent laws in IIOJK.

               These include new domicile and land regulations, demolition of civilian properties, eviction of local residents, and termination of government employees measures he described as part of an ongoing settler-colonial agenda.

              He warned that the government’s policies have opened the door for non-locals to acquire land and jobs, aiming to change the demographic makeup of the region.

              The spokesman added that the dismissal of Kashmiri employees from government positions is intended to marginalize the local population within civil administration.

                   Terming these moves a deep-rooted conspiracy, he said, “The settler-colonial drive is being implemented under the guise of newly introduced domicile laws to replace the indigenous population with a new settler society.”

             Legal changes have allowed outsiders to permanently settle in the territory and compete for existing jobs, he noted, while dissenting voices are increasingly silenced under draconian laws, creating what he called a “virtual prison” environment.

                   Referring to the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, Minhas stated that the Indian government carried out the move “militarily and illegally” to alter the region’s demographic and political identity.

             He warned that amid fear and harassment, the people of IIOJK are prevented from freely asserting their rights and identity.

              The APHC emphasized that lasting peace will remain impossible unless India restores democratic and political rights to the indigenous population, in accordance with international law.