Kashmiris Mark Black Day to Protest India’s 2019 Actions

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Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and worldwide observe Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir on August 5, 2025, protesting India’s 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

On August 5, 2025, Kashmiris across the Line of Control (LoC), in Pakistan, and globally mark Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir (Day of Exploitation) to condemn India’s revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which stripped Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) of its special status. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a coalition of pro-freedom groups, called for a complete shutdown in IIOJK, with posters in Srinagar urging residents to protest India’s actions, as reported by Kashmir Media Service. Rallies and seminars in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Pakistan aim to highlight India’s alleged human rights violations and demand self-determination for Kashmiris.

The 2019 decision by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi also revoked Article 35A, bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories under direct federal control. The APHC, including detained leaders like Masarrat Aalam Butt, labeled this an assault on Kashmiri identity and a violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, per Pakistan Today. In Muzaffarabad, AJK, protesters at Burhan Wani Chowk waved black flags and chanted anti-India slogans, demanding the release of jailed leaders like Shabbir Ahmed Shah, according to The Express Tribune. Former AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, addressing a press conference in Mirpur, called India’s actions a “sinister move” against Kashmiri rights, as cited by Daily Parliament Times.

Pakistan’s leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reaffirmed support for Kashmiris, urging the international community to address India’s military presence of over 900,000 troops in IIOJK, per Geo News. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a solidarity walk in Islamabad, where participants condemned India’s lockdown and demographic changes in IIOJK. A one-minute silence was observed nationwide at 10:00 AM, as directed by the Cabinet Division, to honor Kashmiri martyrs.

The observance underscores Pakistan’s stance that the Kashmir dispute requires a resolution per UNSC resolutions, with analysts like Uzair Ahmed Ghazali of Pasban-i-Hurriyat noting that Kashmiris reject India’s occupation, per Dawn. Protests aim to draw global attention to the ongoing struggle in IIOJK.