Every year on February 5th, the Pakistani state apparatus springs into action to commemorate “Kashmir Solidarity Day.” The banners are unfurled, rallies are held and fervent speeches are aired across the country. However, beneath this meticulously staged facade of solidarity lies a far more cynical truth. It is that this day is far less about the well-being of Kashmiris and far more about propping up a failing political narrative. What was originally a deliberately staged political move has been completely weaponised by the Pakistani military establishment, namely the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), as a major tool of information warfare against India, all while the people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) are living under actual oppression.
The Political Origins of a Proxy Tool
Far from being the organic grassroots phenomenon it is made out to be, Kashmir Solidarity Day is a product of political expediency. It was introduced in 1990 by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a conspiracy with Jamaat-e-Islami’s Qazi Hussain Ahmad. The motive was never for the greater good; it was a ploy to one-up political opponents such as Benazir Bhutto and harness the religious passions of the Pakistani people for domestic political gain.
Right from its inception, this day was meant not to resolve a crisis but to sustain one. It gave the ruling elite a platform to mainstream extremist rhetoric and shift focus away from Pakistan’s domestic economic mismanagement. Today, after three decades, this day continues to be a “political holiday,” a meaningless ritual where the ruling elite in Islamabad pretends to be the saviours while their own house is on fire.
Hijacked by the Deep State: ISI and ISPR’s Information Warfare
Though the politicians may have sown the seeds, the harvest is now reaped by the Pakistani Deep State. The ISI and ISPR have successfully hijacked February 5th and made it the cornerstone of their “Fifth Generation Warfare” against India.
This is not diplomacy; this is a carefully planned disinformation campaign. The ISPR uses this day to produce propaganda videos, use bot armies on social media and sponsor international protests to build a facade of Indian brutality. This annual event has a dual purpose: it internationalises the demonisation of India and gives legitimacy to the existence of the enormous, economically unsustainable military establishment in Pakistan itself. By keeping the “Kashmir pot” simmering, the Pakistani military establishment legitimates its control over the country’s purse strings and decision-making process, as the only protector of this ideological border.
The Great Betrayal: Ignoring the Rot in PoJK
The hypocrisy of Kashmir Solidarity Day is most apparent when considering the situation of the people living under the Pakistani illegal control in PoJK. While Islamabad is crying crocodile tears for the people of Kashmir on the other side of the Line of Control, it is suppressing the voices of people living under its own administration.
The situation in PoJK is one of resource extraction and colonial-style rule. The region has thousands of megawatts of hydropower, but the people are suffering from crippling load-shedding and outrageous electricity bills, which led to massive violent protests in Muzaffarabad and widespread civil unrest in 2024. The natural resources of the region are being extracted to fuel the power-hungry elite in Punjab–leaving the people of PoJK with nothing but environmental degradation and economic ruin.
The people of PoJK are not being shown solidarity in their dissent but the iron fist of the state instead. Nationalist leaders who dare to question the authority of Islamabad are being arbitrarily detained, and the media is still heavily censored. The “solidarity” that is being shown to the people of Kashmir is conditional, being offered only to those who are furthering the anti-Indian agenda of Islamabad, while those who are demanding real rights and autonomy for PoJK are being silenced.
A Tale of Two Kashmiris
The propaganda can become even more brittle when compared to the change that is taking place in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) under the Indian government. Since 2019, J&K has left the shadow of separatism and entered a new era of development. Unlike PoJK, where protests have centred on access to basic services, development efforts in Jammu and Kashmir have focused on expanding transport connectivity, healthcare infrastructure and economic opportunities, reflecting a governance model oriented toward long-term integration and growth.
While PoJK is protesting for necessities, J&K is experiencing an infrastructure revolution. The construction of international-standard tunnels (such as Zojila and Qazigund tunnels), the upgradation of roads, and the opening of new medical colleges and AIIMS centers indicate a commitment to human development. Tourism activity and private investment have been actively promoted in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, with official data showing rising visitor numbers in recent years and a gradual increase in investor interest, even as security-related disruptions continue to pose challenges.
Kashmir Solidarity Day is a facade that is rapidly crumbling. It is a tool forged in political opportunism and sharpened by military ambition. For the ruling establishment in Pakistan, Kashmir is not a cause. It is a commodity and a distraction from their own systemic failures and a justification for their endless hostility. As the world, and indeed the people of PoJK, wake up to this duplicity, February 5th stands exposed not as a day of solidarity, but as a monument to Pakistan’s enduring hypocrisy.
