ISLAMABAD, Dec 17 (INP): Senior leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference AJK (APHC-AJK) Muhammad Farooq Rehmani has issued a strong condemnation against the Modi regime’s escalating actions to convert mosques and shrines of Indian Muslims into Hindu temples.
In a statement, Rehmani described the move as a clear violation of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which protects the religious character of places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947. He said, “The baseless claims made by Hindu extremists over centuries-old mosques, built by Indian Muslims, are fabricated, provocative, and a direct assault on the region's shared history and cultural heritage.”
Rehmani warned that such steps are part of a larger agenda to marginalize and eventually displace the Muslim population in India, which he termed a dangerous development. “Destabilizing an indigenous population based on religion or race is a blatant violation of international law,” he added.
Drawing parallels with Israel’s actions in Palestine, he said the Modi regime is replicating similar policies in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to alter its demography and suppress its religious identity.
Rehmani also lamented the worsening human rights situation in Kashmir, highlighting the lack of judicial independence, media freedom, and rule of law. He stated that thousands of political leaders, activists, and human rights defenders remain imprisoned for decades without due process.
“The current government in IIOJK has no authority over state affairs, even after the so-called Assembly elections. Administrative powers lie entirely with the Lt. Governor and Delhi. Kashmiri staff have been purged from government offices and replaced with outsiders to enforce demographic changes,” Rehmani remarked.
He called on the United Nations to intervene, emphasizing its long-standing involvement in the Kashmir issue through its resolutions. “The worsening human rights situation demands immediate UN action to end India’s settler-colonial policies in Kashmir,” he said. Rehmani urged major world powers and Muslim nations to act decisively and prevent India from further implementing its hegemonic designs in the region. “Granting India a free hand to pursue its oppressive policies will destabilize the entire region and must be stopped,” he concluded.
