Pakistani Embassy in Ankara holds photo exhibit to mark 4th Kashmir 'Exploitation Day'

By Gozde Bayar

Pakistani Embassy in Ankara on Thursday held a photo exhibition to mark four years since New Delhi stripped Indian-administered Kashmir of its special status.

Islamabad commemorated the day as “Youm-e-Istehsal,” or “Day of Exploitation,”​​​​​​​ to reiterate its condemnation of the move that resulted in the annexation of the disputed valley.

The photo exhibition, which was jointly organized by the Pakistani Embassy and Kecioren Municipality, hosted diplomatic staff, journalists and local people.

“This exhibition depicts the day-to-day life of brave people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). It showcases the valiant struggle of Kashmiris against reprehensible Indian oppression. It reflects on the horrors unfolded on people of IIOJK by the brutal occupation forces,” Abbas Sarwar Qureshi, deputy head of Pakistan's mission in Ankara, said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

“No amount of subjugation, atrocities, and illegal actions can extinguish the flame of freedom and right to self-determination,” he added.

He said India took illegal actions, in gross violation of UN Security Council resolutions, stripping away the special status of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir and dividing it into smaller units in 2019.

He called upon the international community to hold India accountable for its actions and demanded that India halts its human rights violations in Kashmir and allow an investigation by the UN Commission of Inquiry.

He thanked everyone for their vocal and diplomatic support to the Kashmir cause.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan, I extend deepest gratitude to Honourable (Turkish) President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan for his principled stand on Jammu and Kashmir and highlighting the issue at all forums,” he added.

For his part, Mayor Turgut Altinok highlighted the brotherly relations between Türkiye and Pakistan.

“Jammu and Kashmir is a bleeding wound. A land usurped by India. Kashmir will be within the borders of Pakistan again within the framework of international laws,” Altinok said.

Stressing that justice will eventually be served, he said Kashmiris will continue their struggle until they regain freedom.

- Disputed region

On Aug. 5, 2019, the Indian government revoked Article 370 and other related provisions from its constitution, scrapping the region’s autonomy and splitting it into two federally administered territories.

Simultaneously, it locked down the region, detained thousands of people, imposed movement restrictions, and enforced a communications blackout.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in part, but claimed by both in full. A small sliver of the region is also controlled by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965, and 1971 – two of them over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or unification with neighboring Pakistan.

Already strained relations between the two nuclear neighbors further plummeted after India’s controversial move in August 2019.