Islamabad: On the somber occasion marking five years since the revocation of Article 370 in Indian-administered Kashmir, Abdul Aleem Khan, Federal Minister for Privatization, Board of Investment and Communications, declared August 5th as a ‘Black Day’. The Minister vehemently criticized the ongoing Indian policies and actions in the region, emphasizing their severe impact on the Kashmiri people’s fundamental rights and freedoms.

According to Press Information Department, Minister Khan expressed his condemnation of the Indian government’s continued violations of international law and human rights in Kashmir. He described the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, as part of a “heinous conspiracy” to undermine the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, a struggle that he remarked is still ongoing. Despite efforts to suppress the Kashmiri voice, he noted that no force could alter the historical status of Jammu and Kashmir or quash the spirit of its people’s freedom movement.

Minister Khan reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Kashmiri cause, promising to continue providing moral and diplomatic backing. He criticized the actions of the Modi government, accusing it of masking the identity of Kashmiri Muslims through dramatic political maneuvers five years ago, with impacts that are still evident today. He also highlighted the brutal tactics employed by the Indian Army and the broader implications of the Hindutva government’s policies, which he claimed have been thoroughly exposed.

In his closing remarks, Khan affirmed that all Pakistanis stand in solidarity with the Kashmiris, vowing to support their right to self-determination at every international forum.