Kashmir dispute persistent threat to peace, stability in South Asia: Speakers
Islamabad: Friends of Kashmir International organized a webinar titled “Nuclear Flashpoint: The Kashmir Conflict”, bringing together leading voices from the political, academic and think tank sectors to consider the growing threats to regional security arising from the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the webinar was attended by Senator Zarqa Suhrawardy Taimur, Chairperson of Friends of Kashmir International Ghazala Habib, President of RIAJ and senior journalist Abid Abbasi, Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS AJK) Tayyaba Khurshid, and Vice Chairman of Friends of Kashmir Abdul Hameed Lone.
The speakers highlighted the Kashmir dispute as a persistent threat to peace and stability in South Asia and stressed that the unresolved status of Kashmir, India’s unilateral abrogation of Article 370, not only violates United Nations Security Council resolutions but also increases the chances of strategic miscalculation between two nuclear-armed states, Pakistan and India.
Senator Zarqa Suhrawardy stressed that the international community should go beyond symbolic statements and play a constructive role in ensuring the implementation of UNSC resolutions, especially the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people. He also explained the role of the Kashmir Committee in highlighting the Kashmir issue at various forums.
Senator Dr. Zarqa said that lasting peace in South Asia is possible only with a just resolution of the Kashmir issue. He said that US presidents have offered mediation in the past, now is the time to implement this offer.
Ghazala Habib Chairperson Friends of Kashmir, reiterated Pakistan’s principled stand on the issue and called for an immediate end to human rights violations in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir by India and for the international community to initiate meaningful dialogue.
Representing the student community, Tayyaba Khurshid congratulated everyone on the successful conclusion of Operation bunyan un marsoos and paid tribute to the brave armed forces of Pakistan on Thanksgiving Day.
Abid Abbasi on the occasion said that the media must play an effective role in conveying the real facts of Kashmir to the world. He said that the Kashmir Parliamentary Committee should not only legislate but also conduct a vigorous diplomatic campaign at international forums.
Abdul Hameed Lone, Vice Chairman Friends of Kashmir, said the Kashmiri people are determined against Indian atrocities and there is a need to shake the global conscience. He suggested that the Kashmir Committee should prioritize coordinated engagement with overseas Kashmiris and diplomatic dialogue with international parliaments.
The webinar concluded with a collective call for a peaceful and just resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with international law and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
