ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, on Tuesday expressed serious concern over reports that India may restore statehood to Jammu while keeping the Kashmir Valley as a Union Territory.
“On August 5, 2019, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were declared as union territories, but now it’s being said that Jammu will be given statehood,” Dar said while referring to the Indian media reports.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the decision in this regard may be announced in the next few hours or days.
Ishaq Dar condemned the move as “provocative and unacceptable”, and urged India to revoke all unilateral measures taken on August 5, 2019 and called for an end to its “repressive actions” in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
On August 5, 2019, India unilaterally and illegally stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, an action which has since then been rejected by the international community, Kashmiris, and Pakistanis alike.
Indian media reports claim that the Indian president’s back-to-back meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah fuelled speculations that the government in New Delhi may start the process of restoring the illegally occupied region’s statehood.
The development came as the Indian Supreme Court will hear an application seeking directions to the central government to restore the statehood of the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Friday (August 8).
Each year, Pakistan observes August 5 as Youm-e-Istehsal (Day of Exploitation) to express support for the Kashmiri people’s right to freedom and protest India’s “illegal and unilateral action” of August 5, 2019.
Ishaq Dar reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue to provide diplomatic, political, and moral support to the Kashmiri people until they are granted their inalienable right to self-determination.
The Deputy Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing a rally held in observance of Youm-e-Istehsal— the sixth anniversary of New Delhi abrogating the semi-autonomous status of IIOJK.
He remarked while addressing a rally taken in connection with Youm-e-Istehsal — the sixth anniversary of New Delhi abrogating the semi-autonomous status of India Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)
Dar said Pakistan would continue extending diplomatic, political, and moral support to the Kashmiri people until their inalienable right to self-determination is realised.
He underscored that Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute, and its future cannot be determined through internal legislation or court rulings within India.
The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, clarifying that this commitment should not be mistaken for weakness.
He stressed Islamabad’s desire for friendly relations with all neighbouring countries and its preference for dialogue over confrontation.
یہ قابل افسوس ہے کہ آج کا دن اپنی سیاسی سرگرمیوں کے لیے چُننا اوربین الاقوامی طور پر یہ پیغام دینا کہ یوم استحصال کے دن آپ اپنی سیاسی غیر ذمہ دارانہ سرگرمیوں کو جاری رکھ رہے ہیں، یہ بہت ہی غلط فیصلہ ہے اور میں اس کی مزمت کرتا ہوں!، اسحاق ڈار pic.twitter.com/B8zlLKJXHQ
— WE News (@WENewsPk) August 5, 2025
However, Dar warned that Pakistan’s armed forces and its people are fully capable of responding resolutely to any act of aggression, as evidenced during the recent Marka-e-Haq, the name given by the Pakistan Army to the period of conflict with India from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the May 10 conclusion of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said, “Kashmir is our jugular vein and we are firmly standing with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters.”
He expressed the confidence that the day is not far when Kashmiris will be granted their inalienable right to self-determination to decide their fate.
Tarar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to continue raising the voice of the Kashmiris at all world fora.
