Islamabad: On August 5, 2024, Pakistan observed Youm-e-Istehsal to commemorate the anniversary of India’s actions on August 5, 2019, regarding Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif used this occasion to reiterate the challenges faced by the region and to call for international intervention.

According to Press Information Department, Prime Minister Sharif criticized India’s efforts to integrate IIOJK as its own, citing violations of international laws and human rights. He highlighted ongoing issues such as the silencing of Kashmiri leadership, media muzzling, routine harassment, arbitrary detentions, and the operations of Indian forces under draconian laws. Sharif praised the resilience of the Kashmiri people, who continue to resist Indian attempts to suppress their right to self-determination.

The Prime Minister stressed that lasting peace in South Asia hinges on the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He urged India to engage in meaningful dispute resolution rather than denial, and called on the international community to pressure India to halt its human rights abuses in IIOJK, reverse its actions from August 2019, repeal oppressive laws, and adhere to UN Security Council resolutions regarding the region. Pakistan, he reaffirmed, will persist in its support for the Kashmiri pursuit of self-determination.