Pakistan is observing Youm-e-Istehsal today (Friday) to highlight the third year of the Indian military’s blockade of occupied Kashmir and to oppose any attempts to remove its unique status through unlawful, immoral, and unconstitutional means.
The law that gave Kashmir its special status was repealed on August 5, 2019, by the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also suspended Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the people of Kashmir and said the disagreement over the region has been a struggle of hope against insurmountable difficulties. The prime minister said in a series of tweets that the Jammu and Kashmir issue has been a war of hope against tremendous odds, courage against fear, and of sacrifice against oppression.
He stated, “Today, we pay rich tributes to all the martyrs of IIOJK for their ultimate sacrifice and to their families for their resolve and courage.â€
He also wrote, “Over the last decades, India has used unbridled force with complete impunity. Generations after generations, brave Kashmiris have persevered in the face of fear, intimidation, torture and worst forms of human rights violations. Indian oppression has failed to dent their resolve.â€
President Dr. Arif Alvi said that the only way to guarantee long-term peace and security in the region is to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the pertinent United Nations Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
The president declared that Pakistan honours the Kashmiris’ sacrifices in their fight for their inalienable right to self-determination. The president said that India’s activities on August 5 violate various UNSC resolutions that said the state of Jammu and Kashmir’s final disposition must be decided in line with the will of the people through a free and impartial plebiscite held under the auspices of the UN.
Former prime minister Imran Khan stated, “On 5 Aug 2019 Modi government violated UN SC resolutions and international law by illegally revoking Special Status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The Modi govt then moved to commit a war crime under Fourth Geneva Convention by altering the demography of IIOJK. They assumed the moves would crush the spirit of Kashmiri resistance.”
Imran Khan further said that Kashmiris’ spirit of resistance became stronger and it continues to strengthen. “The selective morality of the international community and silence against India’s brazen violations of all international laws and UNSC resolutions is condemnable,” said Khan.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated Pakistan’s commitment to Kashmir is “everlasting” and won’t diminish due to the internal circumstances while addressing rally attendees at D-Chowk.
Advisor on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira stated in his speech that the Kashmiri people have endured Indian crimes for the past seven decades and have lost over 100,000 lives.
Every Pakistani, according to him, is aware of their shared national responsibility and supports their Kashmiri brothers and sisters.
