ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan observes Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Exploitation Day) on August 5, experts and leaders have strongly criticized India’s treatment of Kashmiris, citing widespread custodial torture, fake encounters, and severe human rights abuses since the abrogation of Kashmir’s special status.
The Kashmir issue, a long-standing item on the United Nations agenda, has remained a contentious point between nuclear neighbors Pakistan and India since 1947. However, recent developments have intensified the conflict. On August 5, 2019, the Indian government, led by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unilaterally revoked Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution, stripping the occupied region of its Special Status in blatant defiance of international resolutions.
Experts interviewed by APP highlighted that India’s actions have systematically undermined every right of the Kashmiri people. They argue that the Modi administration has imposed severe restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), with media censorship and harassment of journalists becoming rampant.
Mushaal Hussein Mullick, wife of Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik, condemned the RSS-driven Hindutva ideology that she claims is being aggressively pursued by the Indian government. She described it as an attempt to impose Hindu majoritarianism on the Muslim-majority region. Mullick highlighted the continued bravery of Kashmiris facing constant shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) and urged a global strike on August 5 to mark the Indian exploitation day.
Mullick also criticized the Modi regime’s tactics of changing the demographic makeup of the region through the issuance of domiciles to non-Kashmiri Indians. She pointed to the death toll since 1989, with over 100,000 Kashmiris killed by Indian forces and over 7,200 succumbing to custodial torture. Her remarks reflect deep concerns about the escalating scale of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests.
A recent report from the Kashmir Media Service revealed that the killing of Kashmiri youth since the August 5, 2019, decision has exceeded previous years’ figures, with many of these deaths occurring in staged encounters or under custodial torture. The report documented at least 2,369 injuries resulting from the use of live ammunition, pellet guns, and tear gas by Indian forces against peaceful protesters and mourners.
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Notable figures, including PPP Senator Sehar Kamran and legal expert Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, have also weighed in. Senator Kamran lamented India’s evasion of the UN-mandated plebiscite, which was supposed to determine the future status of Kashmir.
Pirzada added that the Indian government has long manipulated the situation to maintain control over the region, citing historical misrepresentations about the temporary nature of Article 370 and the false sense of security provided by Article 35A.
