The Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) in Occupied Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has appealed the people to participate in an anti-election rally at Eidgah in Srinagar on May 21, the martyrdom anniversary of prominent Hurriyet leaders, Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressing a public gathering in Srinagar said, "People should participate in the election-rejection rally to renew their support to the struggle." He said that interference in the religious matters of Kashmiri people was unacceptable. "We can tolerate any brutality but interference in our religious affairs. We are ready to sacrifice our life for protecting our religious rights."
The APHC Chairman said that for staging the election drama, the occupation authorities prevented the people from offering prayers at Jamia Masjid and other mosques. "If authorities continue to interfere into our religious affairs, Kashmiris will be forced to take extreme steps and the government of India will be responsible for the consequences," he said.
Coming down heavily on the puppet Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and National Conference patron, Dr Farooq Abdullah, the APHC Chairman said, "History is testimony to the fact that they have exploited Kashmiris for power and worldly perks. Their motive is just to represent India in Kashmir, exploit Kashmir's resources and suppress the aspirations of the people." Mirwaiz pointed out that Kashmiris knew that who represented their sentiments, adding, "Kashmiris have given their blood to seek freedom. The foundation of our ongoing liberation struggle has been laid by untiring sacrifices".
Hailing the people of Srinagar and Islamabad for boycotting the elections, the APHC Chairman said, "I salute the determination of the people who despite pressure and heavy deployment of troops boycotted the polls." Mirwaiz maintained that the international community had understood the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute. "America, European Union and others have underscored the importance of resolving the Kashmir dispute as they know that peace in South Asia cannot be restored until this issue is resolved," he said.