Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) leadership sharply condemned recent comments by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who invited AJK residents to join India. AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq denounced Singh’s remarks as “ridiculous rhetoric” and urged Indian leaders to allow the people of the disputed region to decide their future independently.
Singh’s invitation, made during an election rally in Ramban, was criticized by Haq, who accused Indian politicians, particularly from the Hindu nationalist BJP, of making audacious statements despite their record of violence against Kashmiris. Haq highlighted human rights abuses committed by Indian forces, including mass rapes, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances.
Haq also pointed to the discovery of over 8,000 unnamed mass graves in occupied Kashmir as evidence of the brutality inflicted by Indian forces. He criticized India’s aggression along the Line of Control (LoC), which he said has resulted in civilian deaths and significant material losses.
The AJK premier called for India to end its illegal occupation of Kashmir and respect the will of the Kashmiri people. He urged the international community to hold India accountable for its actions and support a UN-sponsored plebiscite to determine the region’s future.
