Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed India’s occupation of Kashmir the “defining conflict” of South Asia as Pakistan marked six years on Tuesday since New Delhi deprived the held region of its special autonomy.
Pakistan is observing Youm-i-Istehsal (Exploitation Day) today to mark the sixth anniversary of India revoking Kashmir’s special autonomy and to show solidarity with Kashmiris.
On Aug 5, 2019, India’s Narendra Modi-led government stripped the Muslim-majority territory of its special status by repealing Article 370 of the constitution, splitting the former state into two territories directly ruled by New Delhi.
“India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir remained the defining conflict of the South Asia region, and the driver of India’s continued rogue behaviour,” PM Shehbaz said in a statement.
The premier also recalled the recent India-Pakistan conflict, noting: “India’s unprovoked aggression against Pakistan in May 2025, and its swift and comprehensive military defeat are only the latest evidence of the urgent need for the international community to ensure that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute becomes a global priority.
“The will and aspirations of the Kashmiri people, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, are the only path forward,” he stressed.
PM Shehbaz noted that a “just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was a key pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy”.
The prime minister reiterated “strongest condemnation” of India’s illegal and unilateral actions to alter the demographic structure and political landscape of India-occupied Kashmir (IoK).
He also flayed India’s efforts to silence genuine Kashmiri leaders as part of the “wider hegemonic and extremist agenda” that informed its illegal occupation of the disputed region.
“The imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders and activists, including Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Masarrat Alam Bhatt, will never dim the resolve of our Kashmiri sisters and brothers,” he asserted.
Urging the international community to play a role in halting human rights crimes in IoK and reversing the 2019 action, the premier reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unflinching” stance, moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.
Meanwhile, in his statement, President Asif Ali Zardari also referred to the recent conflict with India, emphasising that “this year’s ‘Youm-e-Istehsal’ assumes greater significance”.
“While the resounding success of the ‘Operation Bunyanum Marsoos’ is a matter of great pride for the people of Pakistan, the day also underscores the need for a settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, for a lasting peace in South Asia,” the president said.
He highlighted that Indian authorities had taken a number of steps, aimed at changing the IoK’s demographic structure and political landscape, during the last six years.
“These measures include gerrymandering of the electoral constituencies, allowing addition of non-Kashmiris to electoral rolls, issuance of domicile certificates to outsiders, granting more powers to the lieutenant governor in administrative matters, and introduction of new laws on ownership of land and property,” he noted.
“The Kashmiri people are confronted with the danger of becoming a disempowered community in their own land. The genuine leadership of the Kashmiri people remains behind bars. The intimidation of innocent people, arbitrary detentions, and the so-called ‘cordon and search’ operations have become a matter of routine,” Zardari said.
To mark Youm-i-Istehsal, a rally was taken out from Parliament House to D-Chowk in Islamabad to express solidarity with Kashmiris.
Special walks and events are being held across all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. A one-minute silence was also observed at 10am to express solidarity with Kashmiris, Radio Pakistan reported.
Pakistani missions abroad were also set to organise special events in connection with Youm-i-Istehsal.
Dar condemns reports of India planning to maintain held Kashmir as union territory
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar underscored that Kashmir was an internationally recognised dispute, and its future cannot be determined through internal legislation or court rulings, Radio Pakistan reported.
Addressing the rally in Islamabad, Dar expressed concern over media reports suggesting that Indian authorities are attempting to grant statehood to Jammu while retaining the Kashmir Valley as a union territory.
He condemned such moves as “unacceptable and provocative”.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Islamabad’s desire for friendly relations with all neighbouring countries and its preference for dialogue and diplomacy over confrontation.
However, he warned that Pakistan’s armed forces and its people were “fully capable of delivering a resolute response to any act of aggression, as demonstrated” during the May conflict.
Addressing the rally, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar noted that the bonds between Kashmiris and Pakistan were “eternal which can never be broken by any Indian conspiracy”.
Recalling that bodies of Kashmiri icons, such as Burhan Wani, were wrapped in the “colour of Pakistan’s flag, which was a manifestation of Kashmiris love and affection for Pakistan”.
Also mentioning the India-Pakistan conflict, Tarar asserted that the “victory in Marka-i-Haq has boosted the morale of Kashmiri masses”.
NA passes resolution condemning ‘all forms of Indian state violence’
In its session today, the National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution, condemning “all forms of Indian state violence and coercive tactics aimed at erasing the identity, culture, and political aspirations of the Kashmiri people, which have failed and will continue to fail”.
The lower house of the parliament reiterated that “Pakistan will never compromise on the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination as guaranteed under international law and UN resolutions”, Radio Pakistan reported.
The resolution was moved by Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam in Urdu and by PPP MNA Shazia Marri in English.
The resolution stressed that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was “not an internal matter of India but a global issue requiring a just resolution in accordance with UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people”.
It called upon the global community to “stand for justice, not silence, in the face of Indian oppression and human rights abuses” in IoK. The NA declared that “from Srinagar to Islamabad, the heart beats as one for the freedom and dignity of Kashmir”, Radio Pakistan added.
The NA affirmed that Pakistan’s moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people remained “unshakable and enduring”, and committed to continue raising the Kashmir issue at every regional and international forum.
The House demanded the immediate implementation of all relevant UNSC resolutions, which call for a free and impartial plebiscite.
India’s repressive actions only perpetuate human suffering: ISPR
The armed forces also emphasised that it was “unequivocally evident that durable peace in South Asia remains unattainable without the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”.
In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu and the armed forces reaffirmed their “unwavering solidarity with the resilient and courageous people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)”.
“India’s repressive actions, coupled with its belligerent posture and incendiary rhetoric, serve only to exacerbate regional instability and perpetuate human suffering,” the ISPR noted.
It added: “The armed forces of Pakistan fully support the legitimate and ongoing struggle of the Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
“The continued illegal occupation of IIOJK by Indian security forces — characterised by an unrelenting military siege, systemic human rights violations, and demographic engineering — constitutes a grave breach of international norms and remains a matter of deep concern.
The armed forces “pay solemn tribute to the martyrs of IIOJK and reiterate their enduring commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Kashmiri people in their just and rightful struggle for freedom”.
More to follow