ON 5 August 2019 India annexed Jammu and Kashmir dissolving region’s autonomy, diminishing its status. Introducing new domicile laws, India sought to integrate the territory fully into its federal structure. These measures were unilateral and incapable of altering the disputed status of Jammu & Kashmir, which remains subject to UN resolutions calling for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine their own future through a free and impartial plebiscite. On 5 August 2026, Pakistan will observe Yaum-e-Istehsal (Day of Exploitation) to mark seven years since India revoked the special constitutional status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) through the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution. For Pakistan, the date is far more than a remembrance. It represents what Pakistan views as a watershed moment that fundamentally altered the political, demographic and constitutional character of the disputed territory in violation of international law and UNSC resolutions. Seven years later, the observance continues to serve as a reminder that, despite changing geopolitical priorities and shifting global alliances, Kashmir dispute remains unresolved and continues to shape regional stability.
Yaum-e-Istehsal is not merely a political observance but an expression of Pakistan’s diplomatic narrative that the legal status of Kashmir cannot be changed through constitutional amendments or administrative decrees. Pakistan maintains that no domestic legislation enacted by India can override international commitments or extinguish the right of self-determination recognized under international law. This legal argument has remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s Kashmir policy since 1947. The humanitarian dimension occupies an equally central place in Pakistan’s position. Pakistan contends that the years following August 2019 have witnessed prolonged restrictions on civil liberties, tighter security measures, limitations on political activity, communication blackouts and restrictions affecting journalists and civil society organizations. Such policies have deepened alienation among Kashmiris rather than fostering peace or political reconciliation. The durable stability cannot emerge through security-centric governance alone but requires meaningful political engagement with the people of the region.
Another major concern highlighted by Pakistan is the issue of demographic transformation. Pakistan argues that changes to domicile regulations and land ownership policies could gradually alter the demographic composition of the Muslim-majority territory. Pakistani policymakers view such developments as an attempt to reshape the political future of the region before any internationally recognised settlement can take place. They contend that demographic engineering in disputed territories undermines both international humanitarian principles and the spirit of UN resolutions. The observance of Yaum-e-Istehsal also reflects Pakistan’s continued diplomatic campaign to keep Kashmir on the international agenda. Over the past seven years, Pakistan has consistently raised the issue at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other multilateral forums. Although the international community has often responded cautiously, emphasizing dialogue and regional stability rather than direct intervention, Islamabad believes sustained diplomatic engagement remains essential. For Pakistan, maintaining international attention is itself regarded as an important strategic objective in preventing the dispute from being normalized.
The Kashmir dispute cannot be viewed in isolation from broader regional security. Pakistan maintains that unresolved political conflicts remain among the principal obstacles to lasting peace in South Asia. Relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have remained strained, with diplomatic engagement largely suspended and confidence-building mechanisms weakened. In this environment, every security incident along the Line of Control carries the potential to escalate into a wider confrontation. Pakistan, therefore, argues that addressing the Kashmir dispute is not merely a bilateral concern but a regional security imperative. Political parties, civil society organizations, educational institutions and the media use the occasion to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
At the same time, evolving global geopolitics presents new diplomatic challenges. Strategic competition among major powers, shifting economic priorities and expanding Indo-Pacific partnerships has altered international calculations regarding South Asia. India today occupies an increasingly significant position in global economic and strategic frameworks, making many countries reluctant to adopt positions that could complicate their bilateral relations with New Delhi. Seven years after the constitutional changes of August 2019, Yaum-e-Istehsal remains a powerful reminder that the Kashmir dispute has neither disappeared nor been resolved. The passage of time cannot legitimize unilateral actions or substitute for a negotiated political settlement. Peace in South Asia depends upon justice, dialogue and respect for internationally recognized principles rather than the consolidation of faits accomplis.
The occasion reflects Pakistan’s enduring commitment to its position on Kashmir and its call for the protection of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. Whether the dispute moves towards resolution or remains frozen will depend not only on Pakistan and India but also on the willingness of the international community to encourage meaningful dialogue consistent with international law. Until a mutually acceptable and peaceful settlement is achieved, Kashmir is likely to remain the defining fault line of South Asian geopolitics, with profound implications for regional peace, security and human dignity.
—The writer is editor, political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
