Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has denounced the union government’s decision to ban the Awami Action Committee (AAC) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), calling it an attempt to suppress the voices of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mirwaiz described the ban as part of a broader “policy of intimidation and disempowerment” enforced in the region since August 2019.
“AAC, founded during the Holy Relic agitation in 1964, has always advocated the aspirations and rights of J&K’s people through peaceful and democratic means,” he stated. Mirwaiz added that AAC has consistently called for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict and that its members have faced arrests and martyrdom in their pursuit of justice.
“The voice of truth may be suppressed through force but will not be silenced,” he asserted.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also criticized the move, warning that silencing dissent would only deepen tensions. In a post on X, she called the ban a “blow to Kashmir’s social and political landscape” and urged the J&K government to intervene.
“Suppressing Kashmir’s voices may serve the BJP’s political agenda, but it undermines the Constitution that protects fundamental rights,” Mufti said, urging the union government to reconsider its approach.
