Pakistan continues to reaffirm its unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support for the Kashmiri people, as the country observes Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 every year with renewed emphasis on the unresolved nature of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Rooted in the incomplete process of the 1947 partition, Kashmir remains one of the longest-running disputes on the agenda of the United Nations, yet continues to be denied a just and lawful resolution.
The core issue is the Kashmiri people’s internationally recognised right to self-determination, explicitly guaranteed through multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. Despite these commitments, the international community and the UN system have failed to enforce their own decisions, allowing the dispute to fester for over seven decades. This prolonged inaction has not only undermined the credibility of international institutions but has also emboldened India to consolidate its control over the disputed territory.
India’s actions in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, particularly since the unilateral revocation of the region’s special status in August 2019, are viewed in Pakistan as a grave violation of international law. Reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, communication blackouts and demographic engineering have raised serious human rights concerns. Yet global responses have largely remained limited to expressions of concern, reinforcing perceptions of selective accountability in international politics.
The sustainable peace in South Asia is impossible without addressing Kashmir in accordance with the aspirations of its people. Continued repression in the occupied territory risks further instability, radicalisation and conflict in a nuclearised region. Silence and inaction by international organisations amount to complicity, weakening global norms on human rights and self-determination.
Through political advocacy, humanitarian support for Kashmiri refugees and diplomatic engagement, the world needs to continue to stand alongside the Kashmiri people until a fair and lasting settlement is achieved, consistent with UN resolutions and the will of the Kashmiri people themselves.
