Youm-i-Istehsal Kashmir: PM Shehbaz urges India to ‘move to dispute resolution’ for lasting regional peace

As the nation marks five years since India revoked the special autonomy of occupied Kashmir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on New Delhi to move from “dispute denial to dispute resolution” for lasting peace in South Asia.

Pakistan observes Youm-i-Istehsal (Exploitation Day) today to commemorate the fifth anniversary of India’s revocation of Kashmir’s special autonomy and to demonstrate sympathy with Kashmiris.

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On August 5, 2019, India’s Narendra Modi-led government removed the Muslim-majority territory’s unique status by abolishing Article 370 of the constitution, dividing the former state into two regions directly governed by New Delhi.

The action enabled individuals from the rest of India to purchase property in India-occupied Kashmir (IoK) and reside permanently. Kashmiris, as well as opponents of India’s Hindu nationalist-led government, saw the action as an attempt to dilute the demography of Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu settlers.

In reaction to the contentious decision, the Pakistani government declared August 5 as Youm-i-Istehsal, beginning in 2020. As a result of the status change, Pakistan now observes this day on a yearly basis.

In December last year, India’s Supreme Court unanimously maintained the 2019 judgment, ruling that IoK’s special status was only temporary.

According to state-run Radio Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz said today that “India must move from dispute denial to dispute resolution” in order to ensure long-term peace and stability in South Asia.

He declared that Pakistan will continue to provide strong moral, political, and diplomatic assistance to the Kashmiri people till they achieved their legitimate right to self-determination.

Shehbaz also wrote on X, underlining his “unwavering solidarity” with Kashmiris and emphasizing that their right to self-determination was guaranteed by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decisions.

The premier urged the international community to “make efforts to ensure justice and peace in the region”.

In his remarks, President Asif Ali Zardari stated that India’s actions in occupied Kashmir since August 5, 2019, shown a blatant disdain for international law and Kashmiris’ aspirations.

Country marks Youm-i-Istehsal

At 9 a.m., a one-minute silence was held, followed by the playing of the national anthems of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), according to Radio Pakistan.

The Kashmir Liberation Commission, Hurriyat groups, trade unions, political parties, the journalist community, and civil society have all called for protests and marches in the capital of the AJK, Muzaffarabad.

Banners, banners, and posters have been posted throughout AJK, and films will be presented in the region’s major cities.

A gathering was staged at Constitution Avenue in Islamabad this morning to protest the Indian government’s decision to revoke the IoK’s special status, according to Radio Pakistan.

The gathering was addressed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, as well as Amir Muqam, Minister of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan.

Ishaq Dar talks in Islamabad. — According to Radio Pakistan, if India considers itself a democracy advocate, it should allow global observers to judge the crimes committed by its soldiers in IoK.

It reported the deputy PM as saying that India could not control Kashmiris’ liberation movement and should call a vote.

To commemorate the event, the AJK Legislative Assembly will hold a special session, according to Radio Pakistan.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the withdrawal of the IoK’s special status was “unacceptable,” and that Pakistan supported regional peace and stability.

“The old status of Kashmir should be restored by ending the unlawful action of August 5, [2019],” he stated in a statement published with PTV News.

Last week, PTV News stated that a “joint main event of Pakistani and Kashmiri leadership” had been planned for today, and that Prime Minister Shehbaz will visit Muzaffarabad to show sympathy with Kashmiris.

Campaign to ‘Indianise Kashmir’: Deputy PM Dar

In his statement, Deputy PM Dar stated that a “intensified campaign to ‘Indianise’ Kashmir, and transform Kashmiris into a disempowered community in their own land, has been in full swing” since August 5, 2019.

“The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is among the oldest unsolved international conflicts. It has been on the UN Security Council’s agenda since 1948,” Dar stated in his remarks, emphasizing that it has yet to be implemented even after seven decades.

“In the last 77 years, India has tried different methods to perpetuate its illegal rule on Jammu and Kashmir,” according to the deputy premier.

“The Indian authorities have taken a variety of initiatives to change the demographic structure and political environment of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“These measures include gerrymandering of the electoral constituencies, allowing [the] addition of non-Kashmiris to electoral rolls, issuance of domicile certificates to outsiders, and introduction of new laws on ownership of land and property,” Dar informed us.

The foreign minister criticized Indian authorities for fostering a “environment of fear and intimidation” in the area, citing the thousands of political detainees.

Dar stated that the withdrawal of India-held Kashmir’s special status, as well as India’s subsequent actions there, violated the UN Charter, UNSC resolutions, and the Fourth Geneva Convention, as follows.

International law recognized Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory, and so “any process subservient to the Indian constitution” could not be used to establish the area’s final status.

Earlier today, the Deputy Prime Minister released a video message expressing Pakistan’s political, diplomatic, and moral support for the Kashmiri people until the problem was resolved in accordance with UNSC resolutions.

He said that Pakistan was a crucial party in the issue, and hence India could not impose a “unilateral decision” against the desire of Pakistan and Kashmiris.

Indian forces’ actions ‘deeply reprehensible’: ISPR

Separately, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the service chiefs, and the Pakistan Armed Forces reiterated their “steadfast solidarity with the courageous and resilient people” of the Islamic Republic of Kurdistan, according to the military’s media wing.

“We unequivocally support their legitimate and protracted struggle for the inalienable right to self-determination,” a statement from Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) said.

“The Indian Security Forces’ egregious violations of international law, including the ongoing draconian military lockdown, unlawful attempts to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory, and persistent human rights abuses, are deeply reprehensible,” he said.

“These unjust actions, coupled with the Indian government’s belligerent rhetoric and hostile posturing, perpetuate the security and humanitarian crises in IIOJ&K, posing a constant threat to regional stability,” according to the ISPR.

It went on to say that it was “axiomatic that lasting peace and stability in the region hinge on the resolution of the long-standing Kashmir dispute” in accordance with UN resolutions and Kashmiri aspirations.

According to the statement, the PAF paid respect to the “martyrs of IIOJK for their extraordinary sacrifices” and reiterated its commitment to help Kashmiris in their “righteous struggle against oppression and tyranny, on political, moral, and humanitarian grounds”.

India ‘disregarded’ world laws: President Zardari

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari stated that India’s activities in occupied Kashmir since August 5, 2019, have proven a blatant disdain for international law, Kashmiris’ aspirations, and United Nations Security Council resolutions.

In his statement on Youm-i-Istehsal, the president criticized New Delhi for its “unilateral actions”.

“Today marks the completion of five years of India’s latest campaign to consolidate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir,” according to Zardari.

He said that India’s “unilateral and unlawful steps” five years ago weakened the region’s “internationally recognised disputed status”.

He emphasized that the ongoing deployment of hundreds of thousands of Indian troops has transformed the region into “one of the most heavily militarized zones in the world.”

Zardari stated that Pakistan will continue to provide moral, diplomatic, and political support to the legitimate fight of Kashmiris and the realization of their right to self-determination.

Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani echoed the president’s comments, saying August 5, 2019 will be regarded as a “dark day in history”.

Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly, emphasized that resolving the Kashmir conflict was “essential for achieving lasting peace in the region”.

Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam emphasized that the Kashmiri people have made numerous sacrifices for their right to self-determination.