Ambassador Masood Khan says Kashmiris have earned their right to self-determination irrespective of legal instruments

Islamabad, Feb 17
Ambassador Masood Khan, former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, China and the United Nations, stated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have earned their right to self-determination through nearly two centuries of sacrifice, irrespective of the legal instruments later invoked in international forums.

Speaking at an event on Kashmir, Ambassador Masood Khan drew a clear distinction between the issues of Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine. He observed that while Palestine enjoys overwhelming support in the United Nations General Assembly and has attained observer status, the cause of Jammu and Kashmir has not received comparable global mobilization, despite the justice of its claim.

Ambassador Masood Khan underscored that Pakistan’s position on Jammu and Kashmir is firmly grounded in the United Nations Charter, UN Security Council resolutions, the International Covenants on human rights, ICJ jurisprudence, customary international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Geneva Conventions. However, he emphasized that even without these legal foundations, the cause of Kashmir remains inherently just, describing India as an occupying power responsible for grave and systematic human rights violations in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Reflecting on his extensive international Kashmir advocacy spanning decades, he underlined the need to understand the hard realities of realpolitik that shape global responses to conflicts.

Tracing the roots of the Kashmir struggle, he noted that resistance began nearly two centuries ago, including the 1832 revolt against forced labour and oppressive taxation under Dogra rule, and the historic sacrifices of Kashmiri leaders who were brutally executed. He described the events of 13 July 1931—when 22 protesters were martyred outside the Central Jail in Srinagar—as a defining moment that transformed scattered resistance into an organized freedom movement for dignity and self-determination.

Ambassador Khan asserted that the deception surrounding the promised plebiscite by India’s first Prime Minister and the subsequent referral of the dispute to the United Nations Security Council marked the beginning of prolonged diplomatic maneuvering. He maintained that realpolitik has consistently influenced India’s refusal to allow the Kashmiri people to exercise their right to self-determination.

Outlining a forward-looking strategy for 2026, Ambassador Khan called for intensified academic research on Kashmir, greater frequency in raising the issue at the United Nations Security Council, and transforming the Kashmir movement into an international civil rights movement. He emphasized strengthening diplomatic gains achieved after Ma‘arka-e-Haq, reactivating Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions initiatives, enhancing Kashmir literacy within Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, and building momentum for credible third-party mediation through international voices in Europe, the United States, Russia, China, and other regions.

Recalling past mediation efforts, he noted engagements with former global leaders willing to facilitate dialogue, while stressing the importance of sustained diplomatic pressure to create space for meaningful negotiations.

Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Masood Khan warned that India continues to pursue a two-pronged strategy of direct and proxy aggression against Pakistan, describing the current situation as a state of war despite a declared pause. He emphasized that these developments are intrinsically linked to the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute and called for national unity, strategic clarity, and sustained international engagement to advance the Kashmiri people’s legitimate aspirations.