Senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has urged India to engage in meaningful dialogue with Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a media interview in Srinagar, suggested releasing political prisoners, restoring safeguards to land and resources, and India-Pakistan engagement as key steps towards the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

He criticized the abrogation of Article 370, which has led to demographic engineering, loss of identity, and disempowerment.

Meanwhile, the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party has warned the foreign diplomats against falling for India's attempts to legitimize its occupation of Jammu and Kashmir through the ongoing farcical elections. According to a DFP spokesman, India's move is a ploy to mislead the international community and divert attention from the Kashmiri freedom movement.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also slammed the Indian government's decision to host a "guided tour" for foreign diplomats, calling it an unnecessary and potentially biased attempt to validate the local election process.

Meanwhile, the occupation authorities transformed occupied Jammu and Kashmir into a virtual military exercise zone, with thousands of Indian forces personnel deployed in Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Budgam districts. Advanced surveillance measures, including drones, CCTV cameras and vehicle checkpoints, were deployed.