MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)- Two pro-freedom groups in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed the United Nations’ reaffirmation of the region as a disputed and unresolved issue, but urged the world body to move beyond reiterating its longstanding position and take practical steps towards implementing its relevant resolutions.
In separate statements issued in Srinagar and seen by Dawn, Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) General Secretary Dr Ghulam Rasool and Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) spokesman Dr Irfan Ghani called for an effective mechanism and roadmap to advance the process of a free and impartial plebiscite in the region.
Dr Rasool pointed out that the Kashmir dispute had remained on the UN Security Council’s agenda for decades and that its resolutions recognised the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine their political future.
“The resolutions were not merely historical documents but represented international commitments, and their non-implementation undermined the credibility of the UN system for maintaining international peace and security,” he said.
He also linked the dispute to regional and international security, noting that South Asia was home to three nuclear powers and warning that any miscalculation, escalation or military confrontation could have catastrophic consequences.
Dr Rasool expressed concern over what he described as the continued detention of thousands of Kashmiri political activists, leaders and ordinary citizens in jails and detention centres. He said many detainees faced difficulties in accessing basic legal, human and medical rights, while restrictions on political activity and freedom of expression had further aggravated the situation.
The JKDFP leader also urged the UN to facilitate a meaningful political process involving India, Pakistan and “genuine representatives” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
‘Clear roadmap’
In his statement, Dr Ghani said the UN Security Council resolutions provided an international framework for resolving the dispute through a free and impartial plebiscite.
He called for a clear roadmap, effective monitoring arrangements and a workable political mechanism to initiate the plebiscite process, saying that continued recognition of Kashmir as a disputed territory also entailed a responsibility to ensure that the relevant resolutions were translated into action.
“Any solution concerning the future of Kashmir that excludes the Kashmiri people from the decision-making process can neither be just, nor durable,” he said.
Both leaders urged the UN secretary-general, Security Council members and international human rights organisations to give renewed attention to the dispute, monitor the human rights situation and ensure that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were included in any meaningful political process.
They maintained that lasting peace in South Asia could not be achieved through force or unilateral measures and called for dialogue, respect for the right to self-determination and implementation of the relevant UN resolutions.
