Kashmiris all over the world including Pakistan are marking Youm-e-Istehsal (Exploitation Day) today (Aug 5) to register their protest against Narendar Modi-led government illegal action taken on the same day in 2019 granting special autonomous status to the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.

The Modi regime in gross violation of the United Nations resolutions and international law scrapped Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution that granted special autonomous status to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and imposed military siege in the territory on 5th August 2019.

All Parties Hurriyat Conference has called for complete shutdown today to mark it as a black day.

Protest rallies against the Aug 5, 2019 illegal action of New Delhi were held all across the country including Islamabad.   

President Alvi calls upon world to hold India accountable for HR violations in IIOJK

In his message on Youm-e-Istehsal, President Dr Arif Alvi said that we honour the sacrifices of the Kashmiris in their just struggle for their right to self-determination.

The President said India's actions of 5 August, 2019 contravene several the United Nations Security Council resolutions which stipulated that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people through a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. 

President Alvi said Pakistan will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle.

He called upon the international community to take practical steps to hold India accountable for its gross and widespread human rights violations in IIOJK and to facilitate a peaceful resolution of this long-standing dispute.

PM Shehbaz urges UN to resolve 7-decade old Kashmir issue

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his message on Youm-e-Istehsal, said the just struggle of the people of IIOJK to realize their right of self-determination, guaranteed under several resolutions of the UN Security Council, is being suppressed through brutal use of force by the Indian occupation forces.  

The prime minister said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been on the United Nations agenda for over seven decades. This long-standing dispute must be addressed and resolved with a sense of urgency and responsibility.

He said by deploying additional troops and imposing unprecedented media restrictions, since 5th August 2019, the Indian occupation forces have turned IIOJK into the largest prison on the planet.

He said the human rights situation in IIOJK have seriously deteriorated over the last three years.

Bilawal flays India for altering IIOJK demography and turning it into heavily militarized zone 

In his message, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that India took illegal and unilateral steps in the IIOJK in a bid to change its internationally recognized disputed status and to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory.

Developments in the last three years have made it amply clear that India has been relentlessly pursuing its nefarious design of furthering demographic changes in IIOJK. It is doing so through repressive measures including outrageous gerrymandering[F1]  to create Hindu-dominated constituencies at the expense of Muslim majorities, the issuance of millions of fake domicile certificates to non-Kashmiris, and modifying laws on ownership of land and property.

These measures constitute nothing but an Indian attempt to obliterate the distinct Kashmiri identity in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention.

The presence of 900,000 troops has turned IIOJK into the most militarized zone in the world. The human suffering of Kashmiris, inflicted through extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detentions, incarceration of the true Kashmiri leadership, and harassment and other gross violations of human rights, are well-documented and have been condemned worldwide. More than 650 Kashmiris have been martyred since 5 August 2019, including over 130 in the year 2022 alone.

India’s reprehensible treatment of Kashmiri journalists and human rights defenders has revealed that it would not hesitate to go to any extent for the perpetuation of its illegal occupation.

India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 and those taken afterwards demonstrate sheer disregard of the international law, views of the international community, and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Indian state-terrorism against the Kashmiris has been extensively documented through numerous reports and video evidence recorded and presented by human rights and humanitarian organizations as well as the international media.

https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1555408278271807489

Foreign ministry holds walk 

The Pakistan foreign ministry arranged a walk in Islamabad to protest against the unilateral decision of the Indian government taken on Aug 5, 2019 regarding granting special autonomous status to the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and imposing military siege there by scrapping Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution. 

Defence Minister Kh Asif, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood participated in the walk attended by a large number of Kashmiris who were carrying Pakistani flags. The participants of the walk raised slogans in favour of Kashmiris’ right of plebiscite.  

Addressing on the occasion, Kh Asif said that Pakistan’s commitment to Kashmir would never falter. He said the Pakistan Army fought wars on Kashmir and rendered numerous sacrifices for the Kashmir cause. Kashmir is an open wound which needs dressing, he added. 

Kaira said that the Indian atrocities on Kashmiris could not deter their resolve. We need to shake up the conscience of the world on this issue, he said adding that struggle to liberate Kashmir would continue till its victory.  

https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1555413536569950209

APHC says Aug 5 blackest day in IIOJK 

Illegally detained APHC Chairman, Masarrat Aalam Butt, in a message from an Indian jail, said that August 5, 2019 is one of the blackest days in IIOJK. He said the purpose of observing the day as Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir is to sensitize the international community about New Delhi's brutal repression being carried out by its more than one million occupation troops in the territory.

Imran slams world for keeping mum on India’s gross HR violations in IIOJK

 Pakistan Tehreeki-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan in his message said that by illegally revoking Special Status of the IIOJK, the Modi-government moved to commit a war crime under Fourth Geneva Convention by altering demography of the occupied territory.

On his Twitter handle, Imran wrote: On 5 Aug 2019 Modi govt violated UN SC resolutions & int law by illegally revoking Special Status of IIOJK. Modi govt then moved to commit a war crime under Fourth Geneva Convention by altering demography of IIOJK. They assumed the moves would crush spirit of Kashmiri resistance.

“But the Kashmiris' spirit of resistance became stronger & it continues to strengthen. The selective morality of the international community & silence against India's brazen violations of all int laws & UN SC resolutions is condemnable.

“We are asked to echo condemnations on issues of human rights the powerful in the int community take up; but when it comes to India & its massive human rights violations in IIOJK there is complete silence by the same powers bec of India's market or its strategic mly partnerships.”

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1555435273101647877

Reporter Mohsinul Mulk