Pakistan Embassy in Kathmandu Hosts Seminar on Kashmir’s Political Future and Regional Peace
The Embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu recently organized a seminar titled “Kashmir’s Political Future: Legal, Diplomatic, and Strategic Perspectives,” which drew the participation of journalists, writers, analysts, and human rights activists. The gathering centered on the reading of official messages from Pakistan’s top leadership and featured a unified stance on the region's future.
In his message, President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political, and diplomatic support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He pledged to continue raising the issue at international forums to resolve the dispute in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, emphasizing that a just and lasting peace in South Asia is entirely dependent on this resolution.
Expanding on this, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif highlighted that the dispute remains one of the longest-standing unresolved conflicts on the UNSC agenda since 1948. He warned that the ongoing friction between two nuclear-armed neighbors poses a persistent threat to regional stability, carrying significant escalation risks as demonstrated by the heightened military tensions following the Pahalgam attack. He urged the international community to pressure India to halt human rights violations in IIOJK, reverse its unilateral measures implemented since August 2019, repeal draconian laws, and create an environment conducive to peace.
Adding to these statements, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar called upon India to cease all actions that undermine the internationally recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir. He specifically criticized the issuance of over 3.4 million domicile certificates as a failed tactic to alter the territory's demographic composition, while also condemning the prolonged imprisonment of prominent Kashmiri leaders. Addressing the seminar directly, Ambassador Mohammad Aamir Khan echoed these concerns, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis, demographic engineering, and suppression of media freedoms in IIOJK, reiterating that permanent regional peace remains impossible without addressing Kashmiri aspirations and UNSC mandates.
During the follow-up discussion, attendees expressed deep solidarity with the Kashmiri people, voicing confidence that the current era of oppression—characterized by collective punishments, disproportionate restrictions, extensive arrests, and property demolitions—will eventually end. The participants commended Pakistan for its responsible behavior in maintaining regional stability and stressed the vital role that civil society and the broader public must play in resolving the enduring issues between India and Pakistan.
