From Muzaffarabad to Peshawar: Kashmiris stage rallies condemning India’s illegal action of August 5, 2019
PESHAWAR (APP): The Kashmiris living in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir on Wednesday staged mammoth protests rallies and demonstrations against illegal revoking of the special status of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) by India on August 5, 2019.
From Karachi to Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gawadar to Peshawar, mammoth rallies and demonstrations were taken out by the Kashmiris and civil society condemning the abrogation of constitutional rights of the Kashmiris of IIOJ&K by the fascist Modi regime seven years ago on this day.
Marking August 5 as a “Black Day,” Kashmiris, politicians, lawyers and civil society denounced the decades-long Indian atrocities and state sponsored terrorism that further intensified after the revocation of the region’s special constitutional status on August 5, 2019.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi led a large rally from the Governor House to mark Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, reaffirming Pakistan’s continued political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of IIOJ&K.
Holding placards and banners with slogans such as “Kashmir Banay Ga Pakistan” rally was attended by Adviser to the Chief Minister Tariq Saeed, All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Manzoor Ahmad and people from different walks of life. The participants observed one minute of silence to express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people and denounced India’s unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019.
Addressing the participants, Governor Kundi said Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir symbolized Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the Kashmiri people and renewed commitment to support them in their just struggle for right to self-determination.
He said every Pakistani stood shoulder to shoulder with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters.
The Governor said the Pakistani nation was ready to make every sacrifice for the freedom of Kashmir and reiterated that Pakistan would continue extending political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people at every forum.
The Governor said the Pakistani nation remained united on issues relating to national security, peace and the country’s vital interests, and would continue to support the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people.
Manzoor Ahmad, leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) condemned the abrogation of constitutional rights of Kashmiris by the fasist Modi Govt and termed such illegal act was an attempt to rob Kashmiris of their identity and freedom.
He said India broke all records of oppression and human rights violations in IIOJ&K where Indian occupation forces unleashed a reign of terror by resorting to indiscriminate firing, use of cluster ammunition, sniper attacks, and pellet guns that left thousands innocent Kashmiris killed, injured and maimed.
Reports of fake encounters, arbitrary detentions, and human rights violence have further deepened the humanitarian crisis in IIOJ&K, forcing Kashmiris to live under constant fear and sleepless nights.
Hussain Khateeb, APHC AJK leader said that frustration at India’s intransigence and the global community’s hesitation to fulfill its commitments had compelled the people of IIOJ&K to intensify their struggle for freedom.
“In the past 36 years alone, since 1990, Kashmiris have lost more than 100,000 civilians including men, women, and children to Indian state terrorism,” he said.
“Over 900,000 Indian troops remain stationed in IIOJ&K where voices are being muted and freedom are denied under barrel of guns, making it one of the most militarized zones in the world.”
He lamented the silence of international media, contrasting it with the coverage of political uprisings in Eastern Europe. “The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has warned that media freedom in Kashmir stands at the brink of extinction,” he added.
The APHC leader urged the international community to act decisively against India’s ongoing campaign to alter the region’s demography and identity.
Global human rights bodies, including Amnesty International and several partner organizations — among them the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, CIVICUS, and the Front Line Defenders — have called upon G20 member states to press India for the release of Kashmiri political prisoners and human rights defenders.
“These appeals reflect a growing global call for justice, accountability, and the protection of human dignity in one of the world’s most militarized territory,” he refered to the joint statement.
APHC leader said Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also reaffirmed its continued moral and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions.
Hussain Khateeb highlighted that coercion, intimidation, and the harassment of journalists and activists remain central to the Modi-led government’s Kashmir policy, calling on world leaders to help resolve the lingering dispute before it put South Asia peace in jeopardy.
He said Indian forces regularly conduct midnight raids, harass women, and abduct civilians under the pretext of search operations.
He cited the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 2019 report, which exposed Indian forces’ use of excessive force and pellet guns against peaceful protesters — a violation of the UN’s Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.
“The arbitrary detention of freedom leader Yasin Malik and the killing of Burhan Wani are glaring examples of India’s attempt to silence Kashmiri voices,” he added, condemning the issuance of over six million illegal domicile certificates aimed at changing the Muslim-majority demography of the valley.
He said that over 8,000 enforced disappearances, 8,652 unmarked graves, and the imposition of one of the world’s longest curfews on nearly 10 million unarmed civilians exposed the ugly secular face of India before the world.
Dr. Khurshid Khan of the International Relations Department, University of Peshawar, said India illegal occupation of Kashmir contravenes multiple articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
“As a signatory to the UDHR, India is obligated to protect fundamental human rights, yet its unlawful actions in IIOJK represent a systematic violation of international law,” Dr. Khan emphasized.
As rallies and protests echoed across Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, the participants vowed to continue supporting the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination and to expose Indian atrocities and state terrorism on every global platform until Kashmiris achive freedom of Indian yoke.
