UN Silence on Kashmir Undermines Global Credibility, Says Pakistan

New York: Pakistan has once again called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to play a more active role in resolving the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute, warning that lasting peace in South Asia is not possible without a just settlement based on UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Addressing the UN General Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) in New York, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, stated that Pakistan seeks peaceful and cooperative relations with India. However, he stressed that “genuine peace cannot be built on injustice or the denial of fundamental rights.”

He demanded that India end its human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and reverse all illegal actions taken since August 5, 2019, when India revoked the region’s special constitutional status and began a series of unilateral changes.

Ambassador Ahmad said that while the UN Declaration on Decolonization supports the right to self-determination, the people of Kashmir and Palestine remain deprived of this right. Drawing a parallel between the Kashmiri and Palestinian struggles, he highlighted ongoing human rights violations and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where generations have suffered under occupation, blockade, and violence.

The ambassador reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for a sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif) as its capital. He welcomed diplomatic efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump and OIC countries and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian aid, and a credible path toward Palestinian statehood.

Focusing again on Kashmir, Ambassador Ahmad reminded the global community that the issue remains one of the oldest unresolved disputes on the UN agenda. He cited UN Security Council resolutions that call for a free and impartial plebiscite under UN supervision — a process accepted by both Pakistan and India.

“The implementation of these resolutions is binding under Article 25 of the UN Charter,” he stated, accusing India of avoiding its commitments through “repression, deception, and brute force.”

He noted that over 900,000 Indian troops are deployed in Kashmir, making it one of the most militarized regions in the world. The occupation, he said, has resulted in extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and collective punishment. Several prominent Kashmiri leaders remain imprisoned, with some dying in custody since 2019.

Despite these conditions, Ambassador Ahmad said, the Kashmiri people continue their peaceful resistance, rejecting India’s unilateral decisions and “sham” electoral processes.

He also strongly condemned India’s settler-colonial project, accusing New Delhi of attempting to change the demographic makeup of the Muslim-majority region. He revealed that millions of domicile certificates have been issued to outsiders and that land is being seized for military and administrative use — actions he described as part of an extremist Hindutva agenda aimed at suppressing minorities.

Ambassador Ahmad concluded by urging the UN to uphold its own resolutions and ensure justice for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, warning that continued silence will only erode global trust in the international system.