KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan on Wednesday denounced Indian authorities’ decision to ban two political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, urging New Delhi to remove the curbs on political groups in the disputed territory.

The Indian government on Tuesday imposed a five-year ban on the 'Awami Action Committee’ and ‘Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen,' in Indian-administered Kashmir, declaring them “unlawful associations” for allegedly engaging in activities that threaten India’s sovereignty, integrity, and security.

The ‘Awami Action Committee’ is led by a prominent political and religious leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, while ‘Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen’ was also founded by another political and religious leader, Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari, who headed it till his demise in 2022.

Since 2019, the Indian government has banned more than six local political and social groups in the region, citing threats to national sovereignty.

"Banning of different political parties and organizations is yet another manifestation of the Indian authorities’ iron-fisted approach in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It reflects a desire to suppress the political activities and stifle dissent, the statement added.

Islamabad urged New Delhi to remove the curbs on the Kashmiri political parties; release all the political prisoners; and "faithfully" implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965, and 1971 – two of them over Kashmir.

In August 2019, India scrapped the longstanding semi-autonomous status of the disputed valley, a controversial move that prompted Islamabad to downgrade its diplomatic mission and halt trade with New Delhi.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights groups, thousands of people have been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.