Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir marked: Nation pays tribute to struggle of Kashmiri people for freedom

LAHORE: “Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir” was marked on Wednesday, to express renewed support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination and to condemn India’s illegal and unilateral action of August 5, 2019.

It was on this day in 2019 that India unilaterally and illegally stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, the action which has since then been rejected by the international community, Kashmiris and Pakistanis alike.

Special events were organized across the country in connection with the day. Sirens were blown and one minute silence was observed at nine am in memory of the Kashmiri martyrs and the oppressed people of Kashmir.

Rallies were taken out across the country, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to express solidarity with the Kashmiris.

The participants of these rallies carried the flags of Pakistan and Kashmir, to demonstrate solidarity with the Kashmiri people. They also raised slogans in support of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.

The participants reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to continue extending political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people and pledged that the people of Pakistan would stand with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters until the realization of their right to freedom.

Radio and TV channels presented special programs to highlight the sacrifices of Kashmiri people and the blatant human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

In connection with the day, the ISPR also released a new song titled “Azadi”. The lyrics, “Tumharay Sath Thay Aur Sath Hum Rahain Gay” reflect the Kashmiris’ complete commitment and solidarity with Pakistan. The song also highlights the Indian carnage and atrocities against women and children in the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari, in her message on Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, said that the entire Pakistani nation pays tribute to the unwavering struggle of the Kashmiri people for freedom. She said Pakistan stands firmly with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just cause and continues to honour their sacrifices.

She said that on August 5, 2019, India unilaterally revoked the special constitutional status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir by abolishing Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution. According to her, the move deprived the occupied territory of its constitutional identity.

Azma Bokhari said that the fascist Modi government had transformed the secular character of India’s Constitution into one resembling the ideology of Hitler and Mussolini.

She added that many eminent intellectuals and serious voices within India continue to oppose this decision.

The Punjab Information Minister said that despite using overwhelming force and repression, India has failed to break the resolve of the Kashmiri people. She said India’s claim of being the world’s largest democracy has increasingly turned into authoritarian rule, adding that the Modi era represents a modern-day blend of Hitler and Mussolini.

Azma Bokhari reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to support the Kashmiri people at every forum. She further said that the freedom of Kashmir remains a top priority in the manifesto of Mian Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Muslim League (N).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026