Muzaffarabad: On Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir, protest demonstrations erupted across various cities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with participants decrying the actions taken by India on August 5, 2019, which they claim violate international law and Kashmiri rights.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the protest in Muzaffarabad was organized by Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir and led by figures such as Uzair Ahmed Ghazali and Usman Ali Hashim. Demonstrators, including a broad cross-section of the community from women to the elderly and children, marched with banners and placards calling on the United Nations to invalidate India’s territorial claims and actions. The procession moved from Shah Sultan Bridge to the United Nations Observer Office, punctuated by the burning of effigies of Indian leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In Samahni, the Jammu Kashmir Awami Party held a rally where leaders like Imtiaz Ahmad Butt and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Abdul Karim condemned the ongoing repression in Kashmir, describing the Indian government’s policies as a conversion of the territory into an “open prison” and likening the situation to Israeli practices in Palestinian territories.

Additionally, the “Right to Self-Determination Kashmir Rally” in Kotli Gulpur drew significant participation from local residents, refugees, students, and youth. Vice Chairman Qazi Imran of the Pir Panjal Freedom Movement highlighted the severe human rights abuses in IIOJK and called for international intervention to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of its people.

These events underscore a strong regional response to India’s policies in Kashmir, with calls for significant international attention and intervention.