Islamabad:Sustained diplomacy and informed advocacy are essential to counter India’s attempts to normalise the status quo in occupied Kashmir, which remains a test case for the international legal system, particularly the fundamental principle of the right to self-determination.
This position rests on internationally recognised legal foundations, including geographical proximity, demographic composition and the historical and cultural ties of Kashmir with Pakistan.
This was the crux of discussion during an interactive session at the Institute of Policy Studies here where scholars, researchers and university students gathered to commemorate Kashmir Solidarity Day under the theme “February 5 and Kashmir: Reflecting Beyond Solidarity.”
The speakers included IPS chairman Khalid Rahman and vice-chairman Ambassador Syed Abrar Hussain, secretary of the IPS Working Group on Kashmir Farzana Yaqoob, executive director at the Institute of Dialogue, Development & Diplomatic Studies Dr Waleed Rasool, and and Umair Parvez Khan of National Defence University.
The speakers emphasised that Kashmir remained central to Pakistan’s national discourse and foreign policy and that sustained intellectual engagement is essential to keep the issue alive in an increasingly complex global environment.
They also drew parallels between Kashmir and Palestine while highlighting that a key distinction lies in the presence of a consistent and strong advocate for Kashmir at the international level in the form of Pakistan.
