ISLAMABAD: Youm-e-Istehsal was observed across Pakistan on Friday to mark the completion of third year of Indian military siege of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and denounce illegal, immoral and unconstitutional step to strip its special status.
A series of activities including seminars and conferences to mark the Youm-e-Istehsal were held in the federal capital and other all major cities of the country to express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people while rallies were also staged with vibrant participation of people from all walks of life.
The whole nation expressed solidarity with their Kashmiri brethren and expressed their support to them in their just struggle for right to independence and against the atrocities committed by the Indian forces.
Kashmiri people on both sides of the Line of Control and all over the world also observed Youm-e-Istehsal to condemn unconstitutional step taken by India on August 5, 2019.
The activists of all the political parties of the country recorded protest over Indian state terrorism meted out against innocent and unarmed people of IIOJK through rallies and other activities.
The civil society organizations also arranged seminars and other programs to highlight gross human rights violations against the Kashmiri people.
One minute silence was observed across the capital at 08: 59 a.m. on Youm-e-Istehsal to mark the completion of third year of Indian military siege in IIOJK and illegal, immoral and unconstitutional step to strip its special status.
The traffic was also came to a halt on three points in the federal capital including Express Chowk Signal, Ayub Chowk and Faisal Avenue Chowk to express solidarity with Kashmiris.
Meanwhile, posters and billboards were displayed at the main roads of Islamabad and other provincial capitals to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people and expose the atrocities being committed by the occupation forces in IIOJK.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also aired the song ‘Jalta Hai Kashmir’ to expose the atrocities of Indian army in Kashmir and show solidarity with Kashmiris against the Illegal occupation by India.
The vocals of the song are given by Zohaib Zaman and music by Salman Ali while the lyrics are penned by Mushtaq Shad .
To mark the Youm-e-Istehsal, a rally was taken out from Foreign Office on the Constitution Avenue to express solidarity with oppressed Kashmiri people in which people belonging to different walks of life, including parliamentarians, participated.
Speaking to the participants of the rally at D-Chowk, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan’s commitment with Kashmir was everlasting and it would never dilute because of internal situation.
In his remarks, Adviser on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira said the Kashmiri people had been braving the Indian atrocities over the last seven decades and sacrificed over one hundred thousand lives.
Lok Virsa in collaboration with Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan has arranged special programs to mark Youm-e-Istehsal including Kashmiri Artisans-at-Work, Photo Exhibition on Kashmir, Screening of Video Documentaries on Kashmir.
Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) presented an online mime performance “Seeds of Hope” on the occasion of Youm-e-Istehsaal to mark the completion of three years of Indian military siege in IIOJK.
Federal Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Shahera Shahid underlined the need for developing a support system for oppressed Kashmiris who needed Pakistan more than ever to raise their voice at every fora.
“India is in a strong position to block everything on the social media, but we have to continue our struggle and provide a support system to Kashmiris to ensure that their voices reach across the world, ” she said while addressing to participants of Digital Photographic and Painting Exhibition held here at the Pak-China Centre in connection with Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir.
Acting Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani said that every passing moment is unfavourable to the Kashmiri people due to Indian atrocities in Illegally Indian Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK), especially on August 5, 2019, when the Modi government changed the legal status of Kashmir.
He said that we are celebrating Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir to realize to the world that the Pakistani nation stands with the oppressed Kashmiri people as always and will continue to support them morally and diplomatically on all fronts.
In Karachi, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani led a rally organized under District Administration East regarding Youm-e-Istehsal. The rally started from People’s Chowrangi and marched towards mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam VIP Gate.
Other Provincial Ministers Giyan Chand, Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh Rasool Bakhsh Chandio, CM Special Assistant Sadiq Memon, Members of Sindh Assembly, DC East Raja Tariq Chandio, Administrator East Rahmatullah Sheikh and other officers were also present on the occasion.
Acting Governor of Sindh, Agha Siraj Durrani has said the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) had been deprived of their basic rights including freedom of speech for three years. In a message on Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir, he said that India had made IIOJK a big jail of the world.
Agha Siraj Durrani demanded that the siege of IIOJK by 900, 000 Indian Army be immediately ended.
Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said the people of Balochistan fully support the just right of self-determination of Kashmiris.
In a message on the eve of Youm-e- Istehsal Kashmir, he said “We will continue to raise our voice against Indian state oppression at every forum, ”
“Modi led fascist government has become totally deranged as it is using all means to forcefully suppress the voices of millions of Kashmiris, ” he said.
Terming the Indian illegal and unilateral move of August 05, 2019, he said that the unstoppable series of Indian state atrocities on Occupied Kashmir continues unabated.
“So far, tens of thousands of innocent Kashmiris have been martyred, thousand others injured and hundreds paralyzed, ”
Youm-e-Istehsal was also observed across Rawalpindi division to mark the third year of Indian military siege of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and denounce illegal, immoral and unconstitutional step to strip its special status.
In this regard, rallies, seminars and different functions were arranged by the government and civil society organisations to pay homage to freedom fighters of Kashmir and to denounce Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir.
Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Rawalpindi organized a walk which was attended by PHA officers and staff.
The walk, led by Director Horticulture, PHA, Sheikh Tariq Mehmood started from Rawalpindi Press Club and culminated at Murree Road.
In Peshawar, the foresters, environmentalists and wildlife officials of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took out a rally to condemn an illegal annexation of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) by India three years ago.
In connection with Youm-e-Istehsal of IIOJK, a protest walk was held in premises of the office of Chief Conservator Forests at Shahmir Road led by Secretary Environment, Forests and Wildlife Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Abid Majeed and Chief Conservator of Forests KP.
On August 5, 2019, the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government struck down Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution, thereby scrapping the law that granted Kashmir its special status.