On August 5, 2025, as Pakistan solemnly observes Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir, the nation once again renews its commitment to the people of Illegally Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). This day is not merely a symbolic gesture—it is a moral imperative, a reaffirmation of solidarity with a people whose voices have been systematically silenced under the weight of state-sponsored repression.

Youm-e-Istehsal, commemorated annually, marks the sixth anniversary of India’s unilateral revocation of Article 370, which stripped occupied Jammu and Kashmir of its constitutionally enshrined autonomy. This act, driven by a Hindutva-inspired ideology under the BJP-led government, was not only legally questionable but morally indefensible. It sought to dissolve the unique political identity of Kashmir, an identity forged through history, sacrifice, and unrelenting struggle.

Kashmir is not simply a territorial dispute or a residual wound of partition; it is a living testament to human endurance in the face of structural violence. For over seven decades, the people of Kashmir have endured military occupation, demographic engineering, and systemic disenfranchisement—yet their resolve remains unshaken. Kashmir’s story is not just one of suffering; it is one of resistance, of refusing to be erased.

The roots of the Kashmir conflict lie in the turbulent aftermath of the 1947 partition of British India. Princely states were given the choice to accede to either India or Pakistan, based on geographic contiguity and the will of the people. Given its Muslim-majority population and cultural affinity with Pakistan, Jammu, and Kashmir’s natural trajectory seemed clear. However, Maharaja........

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