Pakistan on Saturday reiterated all-out support as Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC), in Pakistan and all over the world observed Youm-e-Istehsal to register their protest against Narendra Modi-led Hindutva Indian government’s illegal action taken on that day in 2019. Scores of events including seminars, protest rallies, screening video documentaries, photo exhibitions exposing Indian brutalities on Kashmiri people, have been organized across the country by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan in collaboration with the provincial governments to pay homage to the Kashmiris and condemn the Indian illegal occupation on Jammu and Kashmir. One-minute silence was observed at 9:00 am in support of Kashmiris who were martyred in the freedom struggle.

In Federal Capital Islamabad, a walk was held at Constitution Avenue, which started from Foreign Office and culminated at D-Chowk. President Alvi’s message President Dr Arif Alvi has resolved that Pakistan would continue to be the voice of its Kashmiri brothers and sisters, who had been making invaluable sacrifices and would extend all possible support for the fullest realization of their legitimate rights. “We have no doubt that durable peace and stability in South Asia can only be achieved through a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the president said in his message on Youm-e-Istehsal annually observed on August 5.

He said that India unleashed its illegal and unilateral actions on August 5, 2019, in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) with the aim of disempowering, disenfranchising, and dispossessing the Kashmiri people in their own land. PM Shehbaz’s message Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan will continue to lend its unstinted moral, political and diplomatic support to the rightful and just cause of the freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people. In his message Shehbaz Sharif said, “It is Pakistan’s abiding commitment and promise to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters that we will echo their voices, at every forum until the world takes action and urges India to end its egregious human rights violations and forcible occupation of IIOJK, undo all unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5 August 2019 and take necessary steps to carry out a fair and impartial plebiscite in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

 AJK president’s appeal AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has appealed to Kashmiris all over the world to register their protest against India today that they will never accept India's illegal occupation of their homeland. He said that protest rallies would be held in important world capitals to highlight the nefarious designs of the Indian government and the ongoing human rights situation in Occupied Kashmir. China’s clear positionChina on Friday reiterated its clear and consistent position on the Kashmir issue ahead of “Yaum-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir”, and called for proper and peaceful resolution of the longstanding issue under the United Nations (UN) Charter, UN Security Council’s resolutions and bilateral agreements.

 “China’s position on the Kashmir issue is consistent and clear. This issue is a dispute left over from history between India and Pakistan and should be resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council’s resolutions and bilateral agreements in a properly and peaceful manner,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said ahead of the fourth anniversary of India’s unilateral and illegal act in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Kaira slams India for usurping rights of Kashmiris

 Advisor to Prime Minister on Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Saturday that August 5, 2019 would be remembered in history as yet another day on which India resorted to an illegal act against the people of occupied Kashmir. Addressing a rally taken out in Islamabad to mark ‘Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir’, he said it was on the same day four years back that India stripped the state of Jammu and Kashmir off its special status, which had been guaranteed to it under the Indian constitution. "India took this step following in the footsteps of Israel,” he added. Kaira called upon the international community to think beyond its interests and exert pressure on India to stop human rights violations in the occupied territory and honour its commitments on Kashmir.

It was on August 5, 2019 that India had revoked article 370 of its constitution, which guaranteed autonomy to the state of Kashmir. It allowed the Indian-administered region jurisdiction to make its own laws in all matters except finance, defence, foreign affairs and communications.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)