TEHRAN – The Pakistani Embassy in Tehran held a gathering on Tuesday to observe Youm-e-Istehsal (Day of Exploitation) and celebrated the fourth anniversary of India’s Articles 35a and 370 on August 5, 2019.
This measure, which once granted Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status, is seen as a step towards demographic and political change in conflict-based territories. The event was attended by Pakistani diplomats, the people, Iranian scholars and representatives of media.
Iranian scholars Kasim Safi and Samane Kharafzadeh details the decades of struggle and right to self-determination among Kashmiri Muslims. The vice-president of Pakistan’s mission emphasized Ismato Hassan Siar’s unwavering solidarity in Iran.
She said Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, have urged the international community to address human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir, controlled by India. She also thanked the Iranian media for amplifying Kasimiris’ voice and documenting suspicious abuse.
A short documentary was screened to showcase the scenes of large-scale detention in India-controlled Kashmir and suspicions of demographic engineering. Organizers said the film was intended to reaffirm its international obligations under the United Nations Charter and Security Council resolutions.
Messages from Prime Minister Muhammad Shebaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari were read out loud, highlighting New Delhi’s “unilateral actions” and reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to providing moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris.
The Kashmir conflict dates back to the division of British India in 1947, when the prince was given the choice to join India or Pakistan. The majority of Muslim Kashmir was divided into areas controlled by both countries. While unmediated ceasefires and resolutions call for a referendum, the conflict remains unresolved amid repeated tensions and armed skirmishes.
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, has long supported oppressed Muslim communities around the world, including Kashmir. In April 2018, he declared: “We hope that the Iranian states, the Syrian states, the Iraq states, the oppressed Palestinian people, the people of Kashmir and Myanmar will achieve victory in a not too distant future.”
During this May visit to Islamabad, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut highlighted the need for restraint between two nuclear-armed neighbors. He also reaffirmed Tehran’s offer to promote dialogue towards a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir conflict in line with international law.