APHC calls for observing August 5 as “Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir”
Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has called on the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, pro-freedom organizations, and Kashmiris worldwide to observe August 5 as “Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir” in protest against the Indian BJP government’s illegal revocation of the territory’s special status.
According to Kashmir Media Service, on August 5, 2019, the BJP-led Hindutva government of India, supported by its puppet administration and military apparatus, abrogated Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution, which had granted special status to IIOJK. This move was followed by a severe military crackdown and an extensive siege in the territory. Subsequently, on October 31, 2019, the Indian government further bifurcated IIOJK into two new Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh — each with its own Lieutenant Governors.
In a statement issued from Srinagar, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas urged people to mark August 5 as “Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir” to underscore their rejection of the Indian government’s illegal actions. He emphasized that despite 77 years of illegal occupation and extreme brutality by Indian troops, the determination and spirit of the Kashmiri people remain unshaken in their struggle for securing their UN-recognized right to self-determination.
Minhas called on India to acknowledge the ground realities in IIOJK, reverse its illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, lift the inhumane military and police siege in the territory, cease violations of international laws, release all political prisoners, and create a conducive environment for resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
The spokesperson emphasized that Kashmiris have sacrificed countless lives in their struggle for freedom from illegal Indian occupation and will persist in their struggle until the mission of the martyrs is achieved.
