Pakistani perspective on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir
by Mohammad Ishaq Dar
Voltaire Network | 27 October 2025
On the seventy-eighth anniversary of India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, I wish to draw the esteemed Council’s attention to this unresolved dispute, which remains one of the longest-standing items on the Council’s agenda.
On 27 October 1947, Indian forces landed in Srinagar and forcibly occupied Jammu and Kashmir against the wishes of its people. This dark day is observed as Kashmir Black Day as it marks the beginning of one of the longest occupations in modern history. This day also acts as a stark reminder of the injustices and atrocities that have persisted for nearly eight decades in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The Security Council has adopted a series of resolutions (resolutions 47 (1948), 51 (1948), 80 (1950), 91 (1951) and 122 (1957)) which unequivocally affirm that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir will be determined through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under United Nations auspices. These resolutions enshrine the inalienable right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination and a just and peaceful resolution to the dispute. Regrettably, these commitments remain unfulfilled because India has consistently reneged on its promises to the Kashmiri people, to Pakistan and to the United Nations.
Over the past 78 years, India has attempted to entrench its occupation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir through actions which are in clear violation of the Security Council resolutions, the Charter of the United Nations and international law. The most egregious of these actions were taken on 5 August 2019, when India illegally and unilaterally revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two “Union Territories”. Subsequently, India launched a systematic campaign to reshape the demographic composition of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir by granting non-Kashmiris the right to obtain domicile certificates and purchase property in the region. At the same time, India manipulated the delimitation process of electoral constituencies, granted voting rights to temporary residents and finally conducted sham elections in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir under heavy military presence which defied all international democratic standards. The ultimate aim of these measures is to convert the Kashmiri Muslim majority into a disempowered minority in their own land.
The Kashmiri people are subjected to one of the most relentless campaigns of repression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India’s machinery is engaged in extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, restrictions on religious and cultural practices and widespread denials of fundamental freedoms. Draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act grant blanket impunity to Indian security forces to arrest, torture, kill or destroy any property in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The incarceration of the true Kashmiri leadership is a key part of India’s strategy to silence dissent in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Masarrat Alam Bhatt, Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has spent more than two decades behind bars. Shabbir Ahmed Shah, a leading voice for the Kashmir cause, remains imprisoned and has been denied bail by Indian authorities despite his recent diagnosis of cancer and need for medical treatment. The Indian government’s decision to pursue the death penalty for the imprisoned Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, despite his professed commitment to peaceful political means, raises serious concern. The religious leader and cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, is arbitrarily detained and not allowed to lead the prayers in Srinagar’s historic Jamia Mosque.
The systematic clampdown on human rights defenders has also drawn serious concerns from segments of the international community. The incarceration and restrictions imposed on Kashmiri leaders and activists were criticized by multiple United Nations special procedures, who have also taken notice of the incompatibility of India’s counterterrorism laws with its human rights obligations. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has already published two reports, in 2018 and 2019, respectively, on the dire human rights situation. The worsening situation urgently warrants an updated assessment.
History has repeatedly shown us that ignoring long-standing disputes does not bring peace; rather, it deepens grievances and heightens the risk of instability. The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is one such unresolved dispute, which remains a constant source of tension between Pakistan and India. The recent conflict in May 2025, following the Pahalgam attack, is a stark reminder of this reality. The only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in South Asia is to peacefully resolve this dispute according to the Security Council’s resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan, for its part, remains steadfast in its commitment to the Security Council’s resolutions and to a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute. No cosmetic measures can serve as a substitute for the fundamental and inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiris as guaranteed by the relevant Security Council resolutions.
In this regard, I urge the United Nations to act decisively and in accordance with its Charter responsibilities. The Security Council, in particular, must fulfil its obligations by ensuring full implementation of its resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. It must also strengthen the role of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which remains vital for monitoring the situation on the ground.
I take the opportunity to call upon you to:
• Stress to India that it must reverse its unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019 and all subsequent measures aimed at altering the demographic composition and political landscape of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
• Demand the immediate release of political prisoners, human rights defenders and other Kashmiri leaders.
• Call for the repeal of draconian laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, the Public Safety Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which perpetuate a culture of impunity.
• Ensure unhindered access to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, independent human rights organizations and international media.
• Support the establishment of a United Nations commission of inquiry, as recommended in the OHCHR reports.
• Advocate for the holding of a free and impartial plebiscite under United Nations auspices, in accordance with Security Council resolutions, so that the Kashmiri people may exercise their legitimate right to self-determination.
The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is not only a question of international law but also of human conscience. It is imperative that the international community does not allow the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people to go unheard.