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Moon Desk: Two Delhi High Court tribunals have upheld the ban imposed by the BJP-led Indian government on the Awami Action Committee (AAC) headed by senior APHC leader and influential cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM), led by senior Hurriyat leader Masroor Abbas Ansari.
According to Kashmir Media Service, both the AAC and JKIM are pro-freedom organizations affiliated with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), which have consistently advocated for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, a right enshrined in United Nations resolutions.
The tribunals, both presided over by Justice Sachin Datta, concluded that there was sufficient evidence to justify the classification of both organizations as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
On March 11, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs had declared both groups illegal, accusing them of engaging in activities detrimental to India’s integrity, sovereignty, and security. The Indian government claimed that the AAC and JKIM leaders and members were involved in mobilizing funds to support “unlawful activities,” including backing pro-freedom movement in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, An Indian army controlled-Village Defense Guard (VDG) member has committed suicide in Kishtwar district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the VDG member, identified as Tek Chand, shot himself dead with his rifle in the Akra Nagbatan-Bhatkoot area of district this morning.
A police team rushed to the spot and took the cognizance of the incident.
The so-called Village Defence Guards (VDGs), formerly known as Village Defence Committees (VDCs), are armed groups sponsored by the Indian army in IIOJK. These groups have long been accused of terrorizing the Muslim population in the hilly districts of the Jammu region under the pretext of counterinsurgency. Human rights organizations have documented their involvement in serious abuses, including murders, sexual violence, intimidation, and land seizures, with Muslim communities being disproportionately targeted.
