Spokesman Report
Ottawa: The High Commission for Pakistan in Ottawa, along with the Consulates General of Pakistan in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, observed Youm-e-Istehsal to mark the seventh anniversary of India’s actions of 5 August 2019, when it revoked Articles 370 and 35-A and altered the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The commemorative event, held at the High Commission in Ottawa, was organized to express Pakistan’s continued solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Special messages from the President, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister were read out during the ceremony. A documentary highlighting the humanitarian and human rights situation in IIOJK was screened, alongside a photographic exhibition depicting the conflict’s impact on the Kashmiri people. The event was attended by members of the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora, academics, community representatives, and supporters of the Kashmir cause.
Addressing the gathering, High Commissioner Muhammad Saleem said that seven years after India’s actions of 5 August 2019, the promised peace, stability and development in the region remain unrealized. He noted that continuing restrictions on fundamental freedoms, prolonged detentions, demographic changes, and reports of human rights violations in IIOJK continue to be a source of serious concern for the international community.
The High Commissioner reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognized unresolved dispute, and that its peaceful settlement should be pursued in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
