‘Darkest Day’: Pakistan Marks Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir to Express Solidarity with Kashmiris
Islamabad: Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership condemned India’s illegal occupation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as the country marked Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir on Monday.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Pakistani leadership including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, CJCSC, services chiefs, and the armed forces emphasized that for the past seven decades, the Kashmiris have awaited the United Nations to fulfill its solemn commitments.
They stressed the importance of the international community urging India to end its human rights violations in IIOJK and implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
On this occasion, President Zardari stated that Pakistan will continue to provide full moral, diplomatic, and political support to the just struggle of the people of IIOJK for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
August 5, he noted, marks the completion of five years since India’s latest campaign to consolidate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
“On this day, five years ago, India took a number of unilateral and unlawful steps in IIOJK to undermine its internationally recognized disputed status,” he said.
The President pointed out that since August 5, 2019, India has engaged in a relentless campaign to alter the demographic structure and political landscape of IIOJK.
He highlighted that issuing domicile certificates to outsiders, registering temporary residents in voter lists, gerrymandering assembly constituencies, and modifying land and property ownership laws are some key aspects of this campaign.
“All these measures are in blatant violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention,” he said.
The President criticized India’s actions since August 5, 2019, as a complete disregard for international law, the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, and the UN Security Council resolutions.
He asserted that India would not succeed in suppressing the just struggle of the people of IIOJ&K through domestic legislation and judicial verdicts.
President Zardari also condemned the presence of hundreds of thousands of Indian troops in IIOJ&K, turning it into one of the most heavily militarized zones in the world.
He remarked that the gross human rights violations in IIOJ&K have been extensively documented and condemned globally.
“The mistreatment of Kashmiri journalists and human rights defenders further reveals India’s willingness to go to any lengths to silence dissenting voices,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared that Pakistan would continue to extend strong moral, political, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people until the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination.
He noted that the people and the government are observing Youm-e-Istehsal today.
“This somber occasion reminds us of the grave consequences of India’s illegal actions of August 5, 2019, concerning Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).”
On August 5, 2019, he said, India took a series of steps to consolidate its occupation of IIOJK.
“Ever since, India has been trying to convince the world that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of its territory. However, international law, historical facts, moral principles, and the situation on the ground deny India’s baseless claims.
“Today, in IIOJK, efforts are being made to silence the genuine leadership of the Kashmiri people and muzzle the media. The number of political prisoners remains in the thousands, while 14 political organizations have been outlawed.”
“Harassment of innocent people, arbitrary detentions, and the so-called ‘cordon and search operations’ have become routine. The Indian forces operate with impunity, according to them, under different draconian laws,” he added.
The Prime Minister expressed admiration for the indomitable courage of the Kashmiri people, who have withstood every Indian attempt to subjugate them. He asserted that India’s coercive methods have failed to diminish their yearning for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination.
“History has proven, time and again, that durable peace in South Asia depends on the settlement of the Kashmir dispute. For lasting peace and security in South Asia, India must move from dispute denial to dispute resolution,” he added.
The Prime Minister urged the international community to pressure India to halt its egregious human rights violations in IIOJK; reverse its unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019; repeal draconian laws; and implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, while terming August 5 as the darkest day in Kashmir’s history, stated that India’s apartheid regime’s move to strip the region of its special status was a brazen violation of the UNSC resolutions.
In his video message, the President said that the main motive behind the revocation of Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution was to alter the political and constitutional status of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
India has been committing state terrorism against the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for a long time; however, the level of brutality and state repression has intensified significantly since August 5, 2019, he added.
