Pakistan marked Youm-e-Istehsal on August 5, 2026, the seventh anniversary of India’s unilateral actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), with the country’s civil and military leadership reaffirming their steadfast solidarity with the Kashmiri people and their right to self-determination.
President of Pakistan, in a formal message, stated that seven years have passed since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, which sought to alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. He stressed that these actions cannot change the legal status of the dispute, nor weaken the resolve of the Kashmiri people, who have continued to live under severe restrictions affecting every aspect of daily life for seven years. He urged the United Nations and the international community to address the grave human rights situation in IIOJK and advance a just and peaceful settlement of the longstanding dispute.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in his message, said India’s unlawful measures have deepened repression, undermined fundamental freedoms, and accelerated attempts to alter the demographic composition of the occupied territory through unlawful legislative and administrative measures. He called upon the international community to urge India to end human rights violations in IIOJK, reverse its illegal measures introduced since August 2019, and repeal draconian laws imposed upon the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan’s Armed Forces, in a joint statement by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, reaffirmed unwavering solidarity with the people of IIOJK and reiterated Pakistan’s enduring commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Kashmiri people in their just and rightful struggle for freedom.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement paying tribute to the courage, resilience, and resolve of the Kashmiri people, reaffirming Pakistan’s steadfast support for their right to self-determination as enshrined in UN Security Council resolutions.
