ISLAMABAD - Pakistan will observe Youm-e-Istehsal (exploitation day) today to mark the third year of Indian military siege of Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and denounce illegal, immoral and unconstitutional step to strip its special status.
On August 5, 2019, the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government struck down Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution, thereby scrapping the law that granted Kashmir its special status.
The government has planned a series of activities including seminars and conferences to mark the Youm-e-Istehsal and express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people while rallies in their support would be staged across the country with vibrant participation of people from all walks of life.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released the teaser of song ‘Jalta Hai Kashmir’, which will be aired today to expose the atrocities of Indian army in Kashmir and show solidarity with Kashmiris against the Illegal occupation by India.
The whole nation will give a message to their Kashmiri brethren that the people of Pakistan would always stand with them in their just struggle for right to independence and against the atrocities committed by the Indian forces, said an official statement.
Kashmiri people on both sides of the Line of Control and all over the world will also observe Youm-e-Istehsal to condemn unconstitutional step taken by India on August 5, 2019.
The activists of all the political parties of the country will record protest over Indian state terrorism meted out against innocent and unarmed people of IIOJK through rallies and other activities.
The civil society organizations will also arrange seminars and other programs to highlight gross human rights violations against the Kashmiri people.
One minute silence is to be observed across the country. Traffic to be halted for one minute and sirens will be played. The print media, Radio Pakistan and television channels will play Pakistan and AJK national anthems immediately after one minute silence.
Meanwhile, posters and billboards have been displayed at the main roads of Islamabad and other provincial capitals to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people and expose the atrocities being committed by the occupation forces in IIoJK.
PAKISTAN URGES INDIA TO REVERSE ILLEGAL AUGUST 5 IIOJK MERGER
Pakistan yesterday urged India to reverse the illegal August 5, 2019 step to merge occupied Kashmir into its union territory.
Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said India had let loose a reign of terror and suppression, gross and widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, in an attempt to perpetuate its illegal and forcible occupation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“And this situation has been particularly aggravated since India’s illegal actions of 5th August 2019, that as you are aware, were accompanied by the inhuman siege, curfews, physical lockdowns and communication blackouts, enforced by over 900,000 Indian occupation forces, in what is considered the densest military occupation anywhere in recent history,” he added.
The spokesperson said the Pakistani nation will join Kashmiris in IIOJK, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the world over in solemnly observing Youm-e-Istehsal on August 5 to denounce the Indian atrocities.
He added: “Tomorrow, 5th August, marks the third anniversary of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 and subsequent steps that were designed to undermine the internationally recognized disputed status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and to alter the demographic structure of the IIOJK – all in violation of international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”
He said India had reneged on its obligations and the solemn commitments of its leadership to abide by the UNSC resolutions and let the Kashmiri people exercise their right to self-determination.
Ahmed said that since August 2019, at least 660 Kashmiris had been martyred by Indian occupation forces in IIOJK.
“Behind those figures is a systematic campaign of oppression, extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters and so-called ‘cordon-and-search’ operations, custodial deaths, use of pellet guns, enforced disappearances, collective punishment, and incarceration of almost the entire Kashmiri leadership – their true representatives in order to prevent them from raising their voice for the peaceful and legitimate Kashmiri struggle for self determination.”
In parallel, he said there were a series of arbitrary legal and administrative steps including land confiscation, influx of non-Kashmiris, creation of alien settlements, and issuance of millions of illegal domicile certificates – all aimed at demographic engineering in order to turn the Kashmiri Muslim majority into a minority in their own land.
In an attempt to hide its atrocities, India, the serial violator of human rights, had employed censorship, and crackdown on civil society, human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists, who were harassed and persecuted under the draconian laws, the spokesperson informed.
He said Pakistan appreciated prominent world leaders, parliamentarians across the globe, international media, civil society, think tanks and human rights organizations for upholding the cause of the Kashmiris.
“We are grateful to the OIC for its principled and strong support, as well as the consistent position of the UN Secretary General on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UNSC resolutions.”
“We believe India must reverse its illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 and take the necessary steps to create an environment conducive for meaningful result-oriented engagement and dialogue – that leads to peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant Security Council Resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.”
On the US drone attack in Afghanistan targeting Al-Qaeda chief, the spokespersons said: “There is no evidence of this action having been undertaken using Pakistan’s airspace and Pakistan’s position is very clear.”
About the US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome’s recent visit to Pak-Afghan border, he said there was no detail to share.
