Press Release – Youm e Istehsal Kashmir

Sindh HEC, in collaboration with Iqra University, organises a panel discussion on “Youm-e-Istehsal: Stand for Justice and Freedom in Kashmir”
Karachi: In collaboration with the Sindh Higher Education Commission (S-HEC) and Iqra University (IU), on the fourth anniversary of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), organised ‘Youm-e-Istehsal’ today in solidarity with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters with the objective of expressing unwavering support for the people of Kashmir and their struggle for self-determination.
The event has helped in creating awareness among the youth regarding the exploitation of Kashmiris and human rights violations.
The panel discussion brought together experts in international relations, defence analysts, and educators to shed light on Pakistan’s unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support for the Kashmir cause and called for the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and as per the wishes of the Kashmiri people. They have also emphasised India’s unlawful actions against IIOJK since August 5, 2019, which are aimed at turning the Kashmiris into a marginalised and disempowered minority in their own land.
The moderator of the discussion, Dr. Muhammad Moiz Khan, senior faculty at the Department of History, University of Karachi, opened the panel discussion by highlighting one of the biggest international problems in the world: the violation of the rights of people in Kashmir. The special status of Kashmir under Article 70 has been revoked by the Indian government led by Prime Minister Modi. The constitutional security of Kashmir and the demographic distribution of Kashmir were secured under this special status. India falsely claims that the issue of Kashmir is no longer a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan; in fact, it is just an internal matter for India.
The first panellist, Brig (R) Haris Nawaz, who is a defence analyst, shared the background of Kashmir when Jawahar Lal Nehru went to the UN for a dialogue back in 1948.
Nawaz told the audience that Kashmir is blessed with natural beauty, but unfortunately, the Indian government destroyed the beauty and resources of the Kashmiris. “Pakistan will never forget the events of the demolition held in Kashmir. Now it is important to celebrate the importance of Kashmir, and we must never compromise on national issues.”
Another panellist, Dr. Hina Khan, Head of the Department of History at the University of Karachi, said that India falsely claims to be the biggest democratic and secular state in the world. The secular state is neutral, impartial, and takes care of the equality of all citizens before law, irrespective of their ethnicity, region, or religion. “It provides liberty to all religions, making a fine wall between religion and politics,” she said, adding that the special status of Kashmir was revoked by India, and under the special status, all the laws of the Constitution of India would not be applicable to India unless the legislature of Kashmir allowed their implementation. However, the BJP, since 1980, has destroyed the special rights of the people of Kashmir.
Muhammad Aamir Sultan, Senior Associate Professor of History and International Relations at Bahria University, was also a part of the panel that enlightened the students about the use of pallet bullets on the youth of Kashmir who lost their eyesight. “The internet service in Kashmir was shut down for a long time, causing the unprecedented longest lockdown in history,” he said, adding that the Kashmir movement leaders were threatened and imprisoned. He further informed the audience that the international media has condemned the policy of Modi to crush Muslims in Kashmir since 2002.
The fourth panellist, Dr. Muhammad Ali Ehsan, visiting faculty of international relations at various renowned universities, spoke about the political ideology of the BJP government. “Kashmir is predominantly a valley of Muslims,” he said. “The Indian government is following the model of Palestine; in fact, in elections, they manipulated the seats,” Ehsan added. He stated that there is a cold war between India and Pakistan. “We need to free Kashmir and find a political and diplomatic solution to the problem.”
The moderator, Dr. Khan, ended the panel discussion by highlighting the importance of the topic and how world leaders must come together to save Kashmir and its people.
The event was concluded by the esteemed President and Vice Chancellor (VC) of Iqra University, Prof. Dr. Wasim Qazi. The VC thanked the honoured panellists, and participants for contributing to this valuable dialogue for the future of Pakistan’s aortic vein, Kashmir. He said that he was proud of the way Iqra University has always taken the initiative in bringing the top minds and leaders in Pakistan together on a forum to discuss national and international-level challenges and issues. Dr. Qazi urged the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine their own future. At the end, Dr. Qazi and Dewan University’s Vice Chancellor, Dr. Muhammad Aurangzeb Khan, presented souvenirs to the honourable guests.