Political absurdity: India rejects Pak's 'Youm-e-Istehsal' on Article 370 repeal
India on Wednesday rejected Pakistan's observance of August 5 as 'Youm-e-Istehsal' or 'Day of Exploitation', saying the move was a failed attempt to oppose India's
India on Wednesday rejected Pakistan's observance of August 5 as 'Youm-e-Istehsal' or 'Day of Exploitation', saying the move was a failed attempt to oppose India's 2019 decision to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi said Pakistan was trying to interfere in India's internal matters and using the issue to divert attention from its own human rights record and its role in terrorism. Read Full Story Responding to remarks by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had no doubt about the status of the region. He said the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh "are, have always been, and shall forever remain an integral and inalienable part of India".
The Indian government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, and bifurcated the state into two Union territories. Since then, Pakistan has marked the day as Youm-e-Istehsal. Reacting to this, Jaiswal said, "India categorically rejects the political absurdity and futile attempts by Pakistan to observe the so-called Youm-e-Istehsal to spread malicious propaganda against India." Dar had said New Delhi's action seven years back had complicated efforts to bring peace and stability in South Asia. Jaiswal said the constitutional changes made in 2019 were entirely an internal matter of India. "These decisions have brought unprecedented socio-economic development, good governance, and democratic empowerment to the people of the region.
Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on matters that are strictly internal to India," he said. He also said Pakistan's "desperate attempts to peddle falsehoods" were intended "solely to deflect" international attention from its own "dismal human rights record and its status as the global epicentre of terrorism". "The international community is currently witnessing the brutal suppression of fundamental rights in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK)," he said. Referring to the recent crackdown there, Jaiswal said, "The recent weeks have seen Pakistani security forces resorting to lethal violence, targeted killings, and draconian bans to silence peaceful civil rights protests led by the local populace." At least 90 people have been killed in the crackdown by Pakistani forces on protesters in POJK since June.
Calling it "state- violence against unarmed civilians", Jaiswal said it exposed "the profound hypocrisy of the Pakistani establishment". He added, "Instead of engaging in predictable diplomatic theatre, Pakistan would be well-advised to stop the bloodshed in POJK, take credible, verifiable, and irreversible action against terror networks operating from its soil, and immediately vacate all Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation." He also said, "The world is not fooled by these orchestrated spectacles." Ends
The BriefWire