Pakistan observes 'Youm-e-Istehsal' in solidarity with occupied Kashmir

The day was marked with mass anti-India protest rallies and processions in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – In response to the call of the government, Pakistan is observing the first anniversary of the bleak August 5, 2019 day as ‘Kashmir Military Siege Day’ (Youm-e-Istehsal) in solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Dunya News reported on Wednesday.

One minute silence was observed across the country on the eve of Youm-e-Istehsal today. Along with Pakistan, the day is being observed throughout Azad Jammu & Kashmir and rest of the world by the overseas Pakistanis and Kashmiris to condemn the illegal, immoral and inhuman Indian action of August 5, 2019.

President Dr. Arif Alvi

Addressing a rally in Islamabad in connection with Youm-e-Istehsal, President Dr. Arif Alvi urged the international community to press India to allow the media enter Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to report facts from there.

The President demanded that the changes made in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir in violation of the UN resolutions and the Geneva Convention should be reversed.

He called upon the United Nations to fulfill its promises about resolution of the long-standing Kashmir dispute. India is following footsteps of Israel to oppress Kashmiri people, he went on to say.

Dr Arif Alvi reaffirmed that the entire Pakistani nation is united on the Kashmir issue and it will continue its efforts for Kashmir cause. He said Kashmiris should not consider themselves alone as Pakistan will continue its peaceful efforts for realization of their right to right to self-determination.

Prime Minister Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to express solidarity with innocent Kashmiris on Youm-e-Istehsal.

The premier said that PM Modi made a huge miscalculated mistake on August 5 of the last year. He added that oppression of Kashmiris increased after BJP came into power as Modi won election by inciting hatred against Pakistan.

PM Imran further said Modi thought that Pakistan will remain silent as he strips Kashmir of its autonomy, but Pakistan internationalized the Kashmir issue as he himself briefed President Donald Trump about the sensitivity of the Kashmir issue.

He, while citing examples of Quaid-e-Azam and Nelson Mandela, said that true leaders do not divide nations. On the contrary, PM Modi, who was not even allowed to travel to Europe and US due to Gujrat massacre, divided India on religious basis.

Imran Khan claimed that any pro-India leader cannot be elected in Kashmir and already pro-India leaders like Omer Abdullah are changing their stance and accepting the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He added that he assures all Kashmiris and assembly of AJK that he will highlight Kashmir issue at all international levels and will continue to do so.

While explaining his philosophy about political map of Pakistan, PM Imran Khan said that it was a mandatory move to show the world that India has illegally occupied Kashmir and it is a disputed territory.

He also announced that Syed Ali Gillani will be honored with Nishan-e-Pakistan on August 14 for his historic courage and bravery.

Before addressing the assembly, Imran Khan inaugurated “Jammu and Kashmir Monument” in Muzaffarabad in memory of the oppressed Kashmiris.

PM Imran also participated in a solidarity walk along with AJK President and Prime Minister and others to commemorate one year of military siege of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider

Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider, while demanding an end to curfews and lockdowns in IIJOK, said that intentions of Indian Prime Minister Modi have been exposed.

Raja Farooq Haider addressed the AJK Legislative Assembly and paid tribute to martyrs of armed forces. He added that visit of Line of Control (LoC) by political leadership has increased morale of the Kashmiris.

AJK PM tabled a resolution, condemning Indian actions of August 5, which was passed by the assembly. The resolution rejected illegal Indian actions in the valley and condemned arrest of Hurriyat leaders and representatives of international media.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Kashmiris facing Indian atrocities are not alone and Pakistan will continue in exposing real face of India before the world through more effective manner.

In a Video Message on Youm-e-Istehsal, he said PM Imran Khan is fighting case of Kashmiris as their ambassador. He also reassured all Kashmiris of Azad Kashmir and Occupied Kashmir that they are not alone and every Pakistani is standing with them and feels their pain.

The Minister said that the world is not unaware about the ongoing human rights violations and atrocities against unarmed Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi also promised Kashmiris that as long as their leadership is detained, he will be their ambassador and will approach capital of every country for their rights because as Foreign Minister, it is his duty.

He further said Kashmiris are facing year-long continuous curfew and military siege while the world could not tolerate 4 month lockdown due to coronavirus.

The Minister added that it is a misconception of the Occupation Force that they will demoralize the Kashmiris through repression as the history is evident that when a nation stands up, any aggressive army cannot suppress it and today Kashmiris have stood up.

Information Minister Shibli Faraz

A rally – headed by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz – was conducted in Islamabad in which people from different schools of thought participated. India has converted the held valley into a prison and entire Pakistan is standing with Kashmiris who shall get freedom, Shibli Faraz said while addressing the rally.

PTI Train March

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held a train march from Karachi to Sukkur and raised slogans for Kashmir’s freedom. Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Syed Firdous Shamim Naqvi reiterated support for the people of IIOJK. PTI Member Provincial Assembly (MNA) from Sindh Haleem Adil Sheikh said the Kashmir’s map issued by Prime Minister Imran Khan will become the real map God willing.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir

In Azad Jammu & Kashmir, the day was marked with the mass anti-India protest rallies and processions at all small and major cities and towns across the liberated territory including the capital city of Muzaffarabad against the unilateral Indian action stabbing the special status of the disputed IIOJK this day last year at gun point – denying all international norms and commitments.

A high level meeting held in AJKs capital Tuesday had given final touches to the arrangements for observance of Youm-e-Istehsal and proposed visit of PM Imran Khan to Muzaffarabad to address Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, it was officially stated.

Pakistan’s political map unveiled ahead of Youm-e-Istehsal

Earlier ahead of first anniversary of India’s illegal action of scrapping the special constitutional status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the government on Tuesday unveiled official political map of Pakistan.

The map was unveiled at a ceremony chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Addressing the ceremony, he said that the map reflects the aspirations of the Pakistani nation, adding that the federal cabinet, opposition parties and the Kashmiri leadership have endorsed the map. This will be the official map of Pakistan from today, he said.

The Prime Minister said the new map also negates India’s occupational illegal action of August 5 last year, adding that the map, which has been endorsed by the federal cabinet, is fully backed by the entire political leadership of the country. "This new official map will henceforth be used in curriculum," he said.

PM Imran Khan reiterated that implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions is the only solution to the Kashmir dispute, adding that Pakistan will continue its political and diplomatic efforts for resolution of the longstanding dispute. He hoped that we will achieve this goal one day.

Briefing on the occasion, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the honor of presenting the new map goes to PM Imran Khan.

He said that India had released the map after the illegal move on August 5, but Pakistan has rejected India’s intentions. Qureshi went on to say that the map will be used nationwide from today, adding that Pakistan today told the whole world where we stand.

Special postage stamp on Youm-e-Istehsal unveiled

The government unveiled a special postage stamp in connection with Youme-e-Istehsal to highlight the wave of terror unleashed by Modi government in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Monday, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said the stampage is aimed at sensitizing the world about the atrocities being committed in occupied territory.

Given the worldwide spread of the stampage, he said this symbolic step will transmit a very strong message to the international community.

Shibli Faraz said India has further stoked tension in the region through its illegal actions of 5th August and the world community should take cognizance of it.

He said 5th August is a black day in the history of Kashmir and Pakistan.

In his remarks on the occasion, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed shared the main features of the design of postal stampage.

He said the postal stamp shows the one year completion of illegal action in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and its brutalities on Kashmiris.

He said Kashmir is jugular vein of Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan is the person who has forcefully pleaded the case of Kashmir and unmasked the fascist and Hindutva mindset of Modi government at the world level. He said the day is not far away when Kashmiris will get freedom from the Indian clutches.

A year after occupied Kashmir’s special status was revoked, the world watches on in silence

Indian barbarism and brutality against Kashmiris is nothing new, the valley has been suffering for decades. But, India reached new peaks of oppression when, under the guise of so-called legislation, the Modi government changed the legal status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019 and a new era of oppression began.

The Constitution of India included two basic articles regarding Kashmir, which say that Jammu and Kashmir is a state of India and gave special status to the occupied state as a temporary arrangement.

On May 14, 1954, a Presidential Ordinance named ‘The Constitution Application to Jammu and Kashmir 35A’ was enforced and incorporated into the Indian Constitution.

Under Article 35A, citizens of other Indian states were not allowed to get permanent citizenship in Jammu and Kashmir. Under this, it was clarified who is a permanent citizen of occupied Kashmir and who can buy land. Past governments of India, be it the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), never dared to fiddle with the disputed status of Kashmir under Articles 35A and 370 of their Constitution.

Although the army and police persecution continued in the occupied territories, the special status of Kashmiris was not abolished. But on August 5 2019, Narendra Modi’s government, led by Home Minister Amit Shah, controversially decided to divide the area, home to some eight million people.

The move led to widespread shutdowns of mobile networks and internet, educational institutions being closed down for six consecutive months, scarcity of food and hospitals having more military presence than actual medical personnel. The global community, including Pakistan, is aware that a new wave of oppression has engulfed the occupied valley.

The Indian Parliament repealed Articles 370 and 35A after passing a resolution on majority basis effectively carving up the area and leaving it vulnerable to administrative and demographic changes. The President of India signed the Ordinance to repeal Articles 370 and 35A, and it came into force in October last year.