NEW YORK: Peace in South Asia is impossible without a just and lasting resolution of the longstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, speakers said at an event held to mark the sixth anniversary of India’s revocation of Kashmir’s special status.
The event, organised by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and its Consulate General in New York to mark ‘Youm-e-Istehsal’ Kashmir (Day of Exploitation), brought together diplomats, academics, civil society members, and members of the Pakistani-American community.
Speakers expressed their firm and unwavering support for Kashmiris in their just and legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination.
It was on August 5, 2019, that India unilaterally and illegally stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, the action that has since then been rejected by the international community, Kashmiris, and Pakistanis alike.
Held on the theme of “Unresolved Jammu and Kashmir Dispute: A Threat to Regional Peace and Security” under the banner of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations and the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York, the event brought together people from different walks of life including from academia, media, civil society and Pakistani-American community.
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, in his address, said that today, we are witnessing alarming parallels between the policies of Prime Minister Modi and Netanyahu — both pursuing a strategy of uprooting indigenous populations, whether in Kashmir or in Palestine, in a blatant attempt to alter demographic realities and suppress legitimate aspirations.
He said that in the case of IIOJK, India continues to deny its people their inalienable right to self-determination — which is enshrined in numerous UN Security Council resolutions — by introducing demographic engineering, granting domiciles to non-Kashmiris, and manipulating electoral constituencies, all in an effort to silence Kashmiri voices.
Ambassador Asim said that Pakistan, on its part, remains resolute in its political, legal, and moral support for the Kashmiri people.
He said that even in the face of a recent military provocation and victory in May, Pakistan chose diplomacy over escalation — a decision that reaffirms our status as a responsible member of the international community.
He said that while India suffered not only a military setback but also reputational damage, Pakistan secured a major diplomatic achievement with the unanimous adoption of its resolution on the peaceful settlement of disputes — a significant outcome at a time when the Security Council remains polarised.
He said that India’s strategy — to malign Pakistan, suppress Kashmir’s freedom movement, and manipulate domestic political gains — has failed miserably.
“Kashmiris are not alone. Pakistan stands firmly with them and will continue to extend its moral, political and diplomatic support until justice is served, and their legitimate aspirations are fulfilled,” he emphasised.
Rich tribute paid to Kashmiris
In his statement, Aamer Ahmad Atoazi, Consul General of Pakistan in New York, paid rich tributes to Kashmiris for their heroic struggle against the Indian occupation forces. He said that despite the repression by India, the courage of the Kashmiri people remains undiminished. He said that their resilience is a beacon of strength, and their unyielding demand for dignity, justice, and freedom continues to inspire.
He said that the world should know that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is not an internal matter of India; rather, it is an internationally recognised dispute that remains on the agenda of the United Nations as an unresolved issue of international peace and security.
OIC stands with the people of Jammu and Kashmir
Ambassador Hameed Opeloyeru, Permanent Observer of the OIC to the UN, stated that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stands in unwavering solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for self-determination.
He said that the OIC has consistently called upon the international community to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions, and the will of the Kashmiri people.
India fails to malign Pakistan
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of World Kashmir Awareness Forum, described August 5, 2019, as constituting the darkest chapter in the history of IIOJK. He said that India’s attempts to falsely equate this indigenous freedom movement with terrorism, and to lay blame on Pakistan, have failed to gain international traction, adding that not a single country accepted India’s narrative following the Pahlgam incident.
He pointed out that the global discourse on Jammu and Kashmir has shifted further, with President Trump repeatedly offering to mediate a ceasefire, and the US.
He said that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is once again at the forefront of international concern, much to India’s dismay.
Academic and senior journalist, Dr. Abdulhamid Siyam, in his speech, said that the freedom struggles of Kashmiris and Palestinians are deeply intertwined, both rooted in the fundamental right to self-determination and resistance against foreign occupation and domination.
He said that today, Prime Ministers Modi and Netanyahu are executing nearly identical policies of repression: denying all basic rights, asserting ownership over occupied lands, using disproportionate force, and facilitating state-backed settler expansion.
Dr. Asif-ur-Rehman, representative of the Kashmiri community, stated on this occasion that Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remains an unresolved legacy of partition. He said that after decades of hoping for international support and attention for fulfilment of their rights, Kashmiris have been forced since 1989 to resist India’s brutal occupation marked by extrajudicial killings, rape, and pellet gun attacks.
