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New Delhi, In a move reflecting India’s ongoing clampdown on pro-freedom organizations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a government tribunal has upheld a ban on the Democratic Freedom Party, led by the detained senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Shabbir Ahmad Shah.
According to Kashmir Media Service, back in October 2023, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs tagged the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party as an ‘unlawful association’ under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), citing its pivotal role in the region’s freedom struggle.
The tribunal’s ruling was delivered by Justice Sachin Datta of the Delhi High Court, acting as part of the UAPA Tribunal, thus confirming the party’s status as an unlawful entity. The hearing saw representation from Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati and Advocate Rajat Nair on behalf of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs.
This confirmation of the ban is expected to be formally announced by the Indian government shortly.
The creation of the UAPA Tribunal by the Indian Home Ministry was a strategic step aimed at evaluating and substantiating the grounds for declaring the Democratic Freedom Party as an unlawful association amidst the ongoing tensions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).