Abrogation of Articles 370 assault on UN resolutions: APHC-AJK leaders
Islamabad: All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter leaders have called upon the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir to record their protest against India’s unilateral and illegal actions of 2019 on Tuesday, August 5, which they described as a direct assault on the territory’s identity, territorial integrity and UN-recognized status.
According to Kashmir Media Service, former APHC-AJK convener Mehmood Ahmed Saghar in a statement in Islamabad said the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A on August 5, 2019, represents one of the darkest chapters in Kashmir’s history. He described the move as part of a larger settler-colonial project aimed at disempowering the native population through demographic engineering, disempowering laws, and redrawing of electoral boundaries.
“These measures are not only a violation of international law but also a strategic attempt to erase Kashmiris’ identity, culture, and rights, and undermine their internationally acknowledged right to self-determination,” Saghar said. He urged the international community to break its silence and hold India accountable for its colonial policies in occupied Kashmir.
Another former APHC-AJK convener, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, in his message in connection with Youm-e-Istehsal, said that no amount of terror or black laws can deter Kashmiris from pursuing their just struggle for freedom and self-determination. He emphasized that Kashmiris across the world will observe August 5 as a Black Day—marking it as the Day of Exploitation. Rehmani reaffirmed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir reject India’s illegal annexation and fragmentation of the occupied territory and remain unwavering in their commitment to achieving freedom and their UN-guaranteed right to self-determination. Urging the UN and global leaders to break their silence, Rehmani called for immediate intervention to pressure India into restoring Kashmir’s special status and resolving the dispute in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.
APHC-AJK leader Shamim Shawl termed the abrogation a “dangerous blow” to basic rights, civil liberties, and constitutional protections of the Kashmiri people. “This was not just an attack on legal provisions, but a full-scale assault on freedoms, including the right to dissent, to communicate, and to live without fear,” she said. She further noted that India’s actions have created a catastrophic human rights and humanitarian crisis, affecting over 8 million people locked in their homes, while posing a serious threat to international peace and security. “This unilateral move violates several UN Security Council resolutions—particularly 122, 123, and 126—which prohibit any party from altering the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
APHC-AJK leader Sheikh Abdul Mateen appealed to the global community to facilitate a multilateral dialogue involving all stakeholders, with Kashmiris at the center of any resolution process.
The leaders reiterated that Kashmiris across the globe reject India’s illegal actions and remain committed to their peaceful and just struggle for freedom.
