Freedom silenced, arrest storm sweeps through IIOJK: APHC

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2026) The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has strongly condemned the escalating wave of arbitrary arrests in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, terming it a systematic campaign to suppress the Kashmiri people’s legitimate demand for right to self-determination.

According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas said in Srinagar that Indian troops and police are conducting frequent raids and arrests to instill fear among the population and silence voices advocating freedom.

He added that in the latest crackdown, at least 13 students were arrested over the past two days in the Sopore area of north Kashmir, highlighting the growing intensity of the ongoing operations.

The APHC further stated that the continued use of stringent laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) reflects a policy of arbitrary detentions and collective punishment, with activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and civilians allegedly booked in fabricated cases to prolong their detention.

The statement maintained that such politically motivated arrests expose the frustration of the Modi regime, which has failed to break the resolve of the Kashmiri people despite intensified repression. It said arbitrary detentions are a clear manifestation of India’s state terrorism in the occupied territory.

The APHC reiterated that Indian repressive measures cannot deter Kashmiris from pursuing their freedom struggle and urged the international community to take serious notice of the continued crackdown.

It emphasized that India must be held accountable for its actions and called for urgent steps to end human rights violations in IIOJK.