The Kashmir issue is not a temporary or emotional dispute, but an international issue that has been a severe test for global politics, international law and the human rights system for the past seven decades. Although the world has tried to ignore it, suppress it in files or keep it frozen in the name of “status quo”, the Kashmiri people have kept the issue alive with their sacrifices, resistance and steadfastness.
Since 1947, more than 550,000 Kashmiris have sacrificed their lives, millions of people have been displaced, thousands of families are forced to live as refugees in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, while Kashmiri women have been subjected to serious crimes such as systematic state violence, enforced disappearances and mass rape. This dispute is not just about borders or land, but about the right to self-determination, human dignity and international justice.
The beginning of the conflict and the international promise (1947–1948)
According to the principle formula for the partition of the subcontinent, the Muslim-majority states had the right to join Pakistan. The state of Jammu and Kashmir was naturally eligible for accession to Pakistan in terms of population, geography, economy and communication.
In late 1947 and early 1948, when the Kashmiri people and local resistance had reached the outskirts of Srinagar and Kashmir was practically on the verge of independence, India, seeing the situation getting out of hand, approached the United Nations.
It was from here that the Kashmir issue was officially recognized as an international dispute. The United Nations Security Council made it clear through several resolutions that the final status of Kashmir would be decided by the Kashmiri people through a free, fair and impartial plebiscite.
Resolutions 38, 39, 47 and the UNCIP resolutions (1948–49) are still on the agenda of the United Nations and retain their legal status.
Breach of promise and global indifference (1949–1989)
After making a promise at the United Nations, India gradually:
- Refused a plebiscite
- Crushed the Kashmiri leadership through political and military coercion
- And made a systematic attempt to declare the Kashmir issue an “internal matter”
During the same period, wars were fought between Pakistan and India in 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999, but at each stage the fundamental right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination was pushed into the background. The world powers remained silent in the name of their strategic and economic interests, which provided India with an opportunity for further oppression and tyranny.
Public Resistance and State Violence (Post-1989)
After 1989, the popular movement in occupied Kashmir gained new momentum. India responded to this movement with force, fear and collective punishment.
Military sieges, extrajudicial killings, mass graves, blinding by pellet guns, prolonged curfews and enforced disappearances—all these are tactics that are characteristic of the behavior of an occupying power, not of any civilized state.
Kashmir Solidarity Day: A Symbol of National Commitment
Every year on February 5, the entire Pakistani nation observes Kashmir Solidarity Day. This day is not just a formal or symbolic activity, but an expression of unwavering moral, political and human commitment to the Kashmiri people.
Human chains, rallies, seminars, prayer events and special ceremonies across Pakistan proclaim the fact that Kashmir is a central pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy and a part of the national conscience.
Kashmir Solidarity Day sends a clear message to the international community that the Kashmir issue has neither been forgotten nor ended. In the changing global scenario The importance of this day has become doubly important, as it is an opportunity for Pakistan to effectively present Kashmir to the world in the context of human rights and international law.
August 5, 2019: The height of constitutional aggression
On August 5, 2019, India attempted to unilaterally change the disputed status of occupied Kashmir by abrogating Articles 370 and 35-A of its Constitution. This move was a clear violation of:
- United Nations resolutions
- International law
- and the Indian Constitution itself
. This was followed by accelerated plans for domicile, land allotment and demographic change for non-Kashmiris, which reflect a clear colonial strategy.
Geneva Conventions and War Crimes
As occupied Kashmir is a military occupied territory, the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) is fully applicable there.
Protection of civilians, prohibition of collective punishment and prohibition of forced demographic change—these provisions—constitute a war crime against India. brings it into the category of crimes.
OIC, Arab World and Diplomatic Prospects
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has been supporting a solution to the Kashmir issue in accordance with UN resolutions. After Gaza, the strengthening of the human rights narrative in the Arab world is a new diplomatic opportunity for Pakistan to highlight Kashmir as a humanitarian issue in the global media and diplomatic forums.
The Changing Global Landscape and Pakistan’s Responsibility
The world is no longer unipolar. India’s biased policies in the multipolar world system are pushing it towards diplomatic pressure. In such a situation, Pakistan has a historic opportunity to effectively bring the Kashmir issue back on the global agenda by combining law, ethics and diplomacy.
A Living and Decisive Phase
Kashmir is still a living issue today.
The world has changed, narratives are changing, and the distinction between right and wrong is becoming clearer than ever. If Pakistan takes the right, wise and continuous diplomatic advantage of this opportunity, the day is not far when the Kashmiri people will get their right to self-determination—and the Day of Solidarity Kashmir is not just a monument, but a victory.
