AT the Pakistan Naval Academy’s passing-out parade in Karachi (June 28), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir delivered a strong message to India regarding Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir ( IIOJK), emphasizing that it remains a core national issue for Pakistan and that a peaceful resolution is essential for lasting peace in South Asia.
He highlighted the plight of Kashmiris under Indian occupation and stressed that Pakistan will never abandon them. Field Marshal Munir’s message is blunt and clear: Pakistan will never ever compromise on its stance on Kashmir and continue to legally, morally and diplomatically support the Kashmiri people’s struggle for self-determination.
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan has exposed the vulnerabilities of India’s Kashmir strategy, revealing its new normal approach to be unsustainable. Needless to say, the Marka-e-Haq demonstrated by Pakistan‘s military served as a significant deterrent, showcasing Pakistan’s superb capability to respond effectively to India’s aggressive designs. This development has profoundly underscored the unavoidable need for India to reassess its Kashmir policy as its both erstwhile and current approach triggering multiple wars in the region, has significantly failed to quell Kashmiri resistance movement while instead escalating tensions.
Undeniably, Kashmir is widely considered a nuclear flashpoint in South Asia due to the ongoing territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, both of which possess nuclear weapons. The unresolved nature of the conflict, coupled with the presence of nuclear arsenals, creates a volatile situation where any escalation could have catastrophic consequences. Moreover, the Kashmir dispute is, fundamentally, an unresolved agenda of the partition of the subcontinent. It remains a glaring reminder that the division of British India in 1947 was incomplete, leaving behind a festering wound that continues to claim lives of more than 100000 innocent Kashmiri children, women and men, potentially fueling tensions and destabilizing the region. India has deployed approximately 900000 troops in the Vale, including the LOC. Further, the ongoing conflict–characterized by human rights violations and potential for escalation–makes it a focal point for regional and international concerns. The unresolved nature of the dispute fundamentally underscores the importance of this issue, coupled with the human suffering it causes.The human rights situation is a pressing concern for the international community with heinous allegation of civil liberties abuses in the context of freedom of movement, speech and assembly.
And most importantly, Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination and autonomy remains the core concern and addressing these concerns in the light of UN’S HR Charter is fundamental to uphold the spirit of international law and justice. Additionally, the Kashmir issue holds significant geopolitical significance as resolving the dispute between two nuclear armed states, India and Pakistan could ultimately reduce the tension between New Delhi and Islamabad, promoting regional peace and stability, this in turn promote global security particularly given the nuclear capabilities of both nations.
This has led to renewed diplomatic efforts and a greater focus on de-escalation strategies. President Donald Trump expressed interest in mediating the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. He offered to help both countries in finding a solution. This is obvious that President Trump recognized the importance of resolving the long-standing issue. These offers of mediation and support indicate a realization of the significance of the Kashmir issue on the part of the US Administration during his presidency.
The dispute’s significance stems from its impact on national security, geography and resource control as well as its role in fostering conflict between India and Pakistan. Resolving the Kashmir conflict is widely seen as crucial to achieving several UN Millennium Development Sustainable Goals, particularly those related to peace, security, human rights and stability in the region. But the irony is that Kashmir‘s fate yet remains undecided, and for the last 78 years, it is still a stark failure and indictment of regional and international diplomacy to bring about a just and lasting solution.
Arguably, in juxtaposition of the Kosovo conflict, the international community’s concern to resolving the Kashmir dispute must be seen more crucial than Kosovo‘s independence (that was made possible in 2008 because of the US-UN-EU intervention) as the Kashmir issue involves two nuclear-armed nations, India and Pakistan, and has the potential to escalate into a larger regional conflict with global implications.
Needless to say, following the May-2025 war between India and Pakistan, there’s increased global recognition of the need to resolve the Kashmir issue. The conflict, which involved military action and escalated to nuclear threats, highlighted the dangerous potential for escalation and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution. Resolving the Kashmir issue is indeed a litmus test of global power leadership. The dispute, rooted in the partition of India in 1947, has been a source of conflict and tension between India and Pakistan for decades, leading to 5 wars (1948, I965, 1971, 1999 and 2025). Pakistan’s unwavering support for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination is rooted in principles of justice, human rights and international law.
In May 2025, the UN Security Council (UNSC) addressed the Kashmir issue. The UNSC members acknowledged the need for a peaceful resolution to the dispute, in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the UN Charter. The UNSC emphasized the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and avoiding military conflict to ease tensions. The resolution underscored the international community’s ongoing concern and commitment to finding a peaceful solution for the Kashmir dispute. That said, like Palestine, there is no military solution to the Kashmir dispute. It is highly imperative that the international community recognizes the urgency to resolve this issue according to the aspiration of the Kashmiri people.
—The writer, based in Pakistan, an independent IR & International Law analyst, also an expert in Conflict and Peace Studies (with special focus on Palestine, Kashmir), is member of European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR), including the Washington Foreign Law Society/American Society of International Law.
(rizvipeaceresearcher@gmail.com)
