For decades, Pakistan has sought to internationalize the Kashmir issue, presenting itself as the guardian of Kashmiri rights. Its campaigns have evolved from traditional diplomacy to high-decibel social media activism, and more recently, to diaspora-driven lobbying in Western capitals. However, the last few years reveal a striking decline in Pakistan’s ability to shape the global narrative on Kashmir. The collapse of its flagship digital initiative, Youm-e-Istehsal (Day of Exploitation), and its increasing reliance on diaspora activists like Raja Fahim Kayani highlight both the limitations of Pakistan’s strategy and the growing rejection of its role by authentic Kashmiri voices themselves.

This article examines the transformation of Pakistan’s Kashmir advocacy between 2022 and 2025, the reasons behind its digital failure, the role of diaspora fronts, and why both approaches are increasingly unsustainable.

The Rise and Fall of Youm-e-Istehsal

Origins of the Campaign: In 2019, after India revoked Article 370, Pakistan declared August 5 as Youm-e-Istehsal. The day was intended to symbolize “resistance” to India’s constitutional changes and to project Pakistan as the global defender of Kashmiri rights. Social media became the battleground: hashtags, mass-tweeting, graphics, and video appeals aimed to trend worldwide, creating the illusion of a global outcry.

Peak and Decline

The 2022 campaign represented the zenith of this strategy. Pakistan deployed nine diverse hashtags, covering emotional, legal, territorial, and multilingual angles. It generated some international activity across the UK, Thailand, and parts of South Asia. For a brief period, it appeared that Pakistan’s digital narrative was gaining traction.

But from 2023 onwards, the campaign declined rapidly:

2023: Hashtags dropped to four, international........

© Greater Kashmir