The Consulate General of Pakistan in New York, along with the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, held an event to commemorate ‘Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir’ (Day of Exploitation), reaffirming its support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The gathering brought together Pakistani-American and Kashmiri diaspora, civil society members, academics, media professionals, and diplomats, demonstrating the enduring commitment of the community to the Kashmir issue.
Consul General Aamer Ahmed Atozai opened the event by honoring the resilience and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, who have endured decades of occupation and repression. He denounced India’s unilateral changes to the status of Jammu and Kashmir, calling them violations of international law and UN Security Council resolutions, and declared these actions as attempts to alter the region’s demographic and political character.
He further highlighted that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains an internationally recognized issue awaiting resolution under the UN Charter. Atozai urged the global community to hold India accountable for human rights abuses and to support the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
Messages from Pakistan’s President, Prime Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister were also shared with attendees. These messages reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast diplomatic, political, and moral support for the Kashmiri cause.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, delivered the keynote address. He compared Prime Minister Modi’s policies in Kashmir to those of other repressive regimes, citing demographic engineering and restrictions on basic rights in the region. Ambassador Ahmad assured that Pakistan remains dedicated to peaceful dispute resolution and proactively raises the Kashmir issue within the United Nations.
Additional speakers included Ambassador Hameed Opeloyeru of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum, academic Dr. Abdulhamid Siyam, and community leader Dr. Asif-ur-Rehman. They all condemned ongoing human rights violations in the region and expressed their solidarity with Kashmiris demanding freedom and justice.
The event concluded with a strong commitment from Pakistan to continue raising awareness about the plight of Kashmiris at international forums, standing with the people of Jammu and Kashmir until their right to self-determination is realized as per UN Security Council resolutions.
