THE entire Pakistani nation reaffirmed its solidarity with the oppressed people of Occupied Kashmir on the occasion of ‘Yaum-e-Istehsal’ observed on August 5 to mark the fifth anniversary of India’s revocation of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir’s special autonomy status and a series of measures that the Modi Government has taken since then to harm Kashmiris physically, socially and economically. The move to scrap Article 370 of India’s Constitution, which gives the state of Jammu and Kashmir its own constitution and decision-making rights for all matters except for defence, communications and foreign affairs, was enforced in a bid to integrate the state with the Indian Union. That article also forbids Indians outside the state from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs and securing educational scholarships.
The spirit with which people of Pakistan expressed their solidarity with Kashmiris and denounced repressive actions of the occupation forces has sent a loud and clear message that the country will never abandon Kashmiris and continue to extend its moral, political and diplomatic support to the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris people for their right to self-determination. This message was underlined by strong expression of support for their cause by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, services chiefs and political leaders of the country. They pointed out that August 5 marks the completion of five years of India’s latest campaign to consolidate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and took a number of unilateral and unlawful steps in a bid to undermine its internationally recognized disputed status. The President highlighted that measures like issuing domicile certificates to outsiders, registering temporary residents in the voters’ lists, gerrymandering assembly constituencies, and modifying land and property ownership laws are in blatant violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention. The Prime Minister, while saluting Kashmiris for their indomitable courage that has enabled them to withstand every Indian attempt to subjugate them, said India’s coercive methods have failed to diminish their yearning for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination. It is hoped that events organized both within Pakistan and abroad would go a long way in highlighting the cause of Kashmiri people and their miseries in the face of atrocities by the occupation forces. The peaceful struggle of Kashmiris for their birth right and moral, political and diplomatic support being extended by Pakistan would surely help sensitize the conscience of the international community and expose the fake claims of India being the largest democratic state of the world. India has increased its oppression in Occupied Kashmir since August 5, 2019. Efforts are being made to silence the media and the genuine leadership of the Kashmiri people remains behind bars. The Indian authorities have sought the death penalty for one of the most renowned Kashmiri leaders, Yaseen Malik. In fact, the Indian actions were aimed at a process of demographic change and political engineering and as a result the Kashmiri people are confronted with the danger of becoming a disempowered community in their own land.
The Modi government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and implemented a series of measures under the assumption that these would serve as a ‘final solution’ to an issue still on the United Nations agenda. It also employed harsh tactics, including the deployment of additional troops and a lockdown of the region, followed by demographic changes in violation of international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. However, the people of Kashmir have conveyed an unambiguous message that only the grant of the right of self-determination is acceptable to them. We hope their courageous struggle and its resolute support by people of Pakistan would force the international community to demand an end to India’s gross and widespread human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir, reversal of its unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019, repeal of draconian laws, release of political prisoners and implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
