ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday observed Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir with nationwide rallies, solidarity events and official ceremonies to reaffirm support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and condemn India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019.
The day commemorates India’s decision to revoke Articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special autonomous status and reorganising the disputed territory. Pakistan maintains that the move violated international law and relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Special events were held across the country, including rallies in all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan. In Islamabad, a rally on Constitution Avenue drew participation from federal ministers, parliamentarians and people from various walks of life. Sirens were sounded and a one-minute silence was observed at 9am to pay tribute to the Kashmiri people.
In separate messages, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the people of IIOJK, paying tribute to their courage, resilience and steadfast commitment to the right to self-determination.
They said Youm-e-Istehsal serves as a reminder to the international community of the consequences of India’s “illegal and unilateral” actions in August 2019, which they described as a flagrant violation of international law and UNSC resolutions.
The president and the prime minister said that, despite the passage of seven years, India’s actions had neither altered the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir nor weakened the Kashmiri people’s aspiration for self-determination.
They reiterated that Pakistan would continue to raise the Kashmir issue at every international forum until the dispute is resolved in accordance with UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
The two leaders also urged the international community to press India to end what they described as human rights violations in IIOJK and reverse the August 2019 measures to facilitate a peaceful settlement of the dispute.
Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a solidarity walk on Constitution Avenue to express support for the people of IIOJK and reaffirm Pakistan’s condemnation of India’s August 5, 2019 actions.
The walk was led by Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and attended by diplomats, senior officials and ministry personnel. Participants marched from the Foreign Office to D-Chowk, carrying Pakistani and Kashmiri flags, as well as banners and placards expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
National songs were played during the event, while participants observed a one-minute silence in remembrance of Kashmiris who lost their lives during the decades-long conflict.
Pakistan observes Youm-e-Istehsal every year on August 5 to mark the anniversary of India’s revocation of the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, a move aimed at altering the demographic and political character of the internationally recognised disputed territory. Pakistan maintains that the measures violate international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as relevant UNSC resolutions.
