Sindh’s Minister for Labour, Human Resources and Social Protection Saeed Ghani has strongly criticised India’s constitutional changes of 5 August 2019, alleging that the move altered the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and sought to change the region’s demographic composition by reducing the Muslim-majority population to a minority in the occupied territory.
He made these remarks while addressing the concluding ceremony of a Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Exploitation Day) rally held on Wednesday. The rally began at the Pakistan Peoples Party Secretariat in Karachi after a one-minute silence at 9am and concluded at Mazar-e-Quaid.
The event was attended by All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Mateen, the Sindh Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Human Rights Raj Singh Sodha, Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, Additional Inspector General of Police Karachi Azad Khan, senior government officials and a large number of schoolchildren.
Addressing the participants, Ghani said Pakistan annually observes Kashmir Solidarity Day on 5 February to reaffirm its support for the people of Kashmir and their struggle. Referring to the constitutional amendments introduced by the Indian government on 5 August 2019, he alleged that they had undermined the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir and were aimed at changing the demographic balance of the region.
He further criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, accusing it of promoting religious extremism and maintaining that Muslims and economically disadvantaged Hindus in India had suffered under its policies. According to Ghani, India no longer met international standards in several respects.
The provincial minister contrasted the treatment of minorities in Pakistan and India, claiming that businesses in Pakistan carrying Indian names had never been targeted, whereas businesses in India associated with Pakistan had allegedly been attacked, shut down or forced to change their names.
Ghani also maintained that Pakistan’s religious minorities, including Hindus and Christians, enjoyed equal constitutional rights and representation, adding that such treatment, in his view, was absent in India.
Commenting on the 2025 Pakistan-India conflict, Ghani alleged that India had sought to weaken Pakistan but claimed that Pakistan had emerged victorious within a matter of days. He described the outcome as a triumph for Pakistan, saying that perceptions of India’s military superiority had been challenged and asserting that India now faced diplomatic isolation.
Expressing confidence in Pakistan’s diplomatic position, Ghani said he hoped the international community would eventually play a role in ending what he described as injustices in Kashmir. He reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position that the future of Jammu and Kashmir should be determined by the Kashmiri people in accordance with the country’s constitutional stance, expressing hope that their struggle would ultimately succeed.
Speaking on the occasion, All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Mateen thanked the people of Pakistan, political parties and various organisations for organising rallies and events across the country to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir.
He recalled the late former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s pledge that Pakistan would continue supporting the Kashmir cause for as long as necessary. He also paid tribute to the late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, saying she had reserved seats for the people of occupied Kashmir.
The ceremony concluded with schoolchildren presenting patriotic songs.
