Pegasus Scandal: APHC anguished over targeted surveillance

SRINAGAR — All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) condemned the targeted surveillance on its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and senior executive members Bilal Ghani Lone and Masroor Abbas Ansari as reported in The Wire.

APHC said it also condemns the hacking of phones of journalists, activists, businessmen and others in J&K as per the expose.

APHC spokesman said that hacking into people’s phone for surveillance is a wilful and direct violation of the universally acknowledged fundamental right to privacy – a basic human right and those involved in it should be tried.

APHC said that it acknowledges the fact that in J&K basic human rights of an entire population remain suspended, and the writ of the state rules with a heavy hand, so to expect redressal of this issue, especially from those that are indulging in it, is very unlikely.

APHC said its chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has for the past two years been put under arbitrary house detention by the government, without giving any reason. “All his basic human rights already stand violated.”