*5TH AUGUST- YOUM-E-ISTEHSAL*

The nation is observing ‘Youm-e-Istehsal’ on 5th August to express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people on completion of three years of military siege of IIOJK. It was on 5th August 2019 that the special constitutional status of IIOJK was scrapped by the Modi government. In violation of the UNSC Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir and of international law, India tried to obliterate the distinct identity of the Kashmiri people. India hoped that by attempting to alter demographic structure of IIOJK, it could dampen the spirit of the Kashmiri people or at the very least, make them compromise on their legitimate right to self-determination. On both counts, India has abjectly failed. These steps were rejected by Pakistan, the Kashmiris, and the international community. The unabated Indian repression including extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris, unprecedented restrictions on freedom of speech, fake encounters, Cordon-and-Search Operations, custodial torture and deaths, enforced disappearances, incarceration of Kashmiri leadership and youth, use of pellet guns, destruction and burning of houses and other methods of subjugation have miserably failed to shake the will of Kashmiri people. More than 1.5 billion people of the region deserve to see the dawn of peace and prosperity which has been held hostage to the gross and systematic violations of human rights in IIOJK. International community should hold India accountable for its crimes against Kashmiris and demand that India reverses its illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, revoke draconian laws, cease all human rights violations and stop its state-terrorism against the people of IIOJK.