Independent Report
Islamabad, January 5, 2026:
The India Study Centre at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) and the All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), held a roundtable titled “5 January: The Call for Self-Determination in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governance, ISSI, said that the UNCIP resolution of January 5, 1949, established that the people of Jammu and Kashmir should determine their future through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN supervision. He criticized India’s recent stance treating the issue as internal, calling it unacceptable to Pakistan, Kashmiris, and the international community.
Dr Khurram Abbas, Director of the India Study Centre, emphasized that 78 years later, Kashmiris are still awaiting their right to self-determination, and the resolution’s relevance has increased since August 5, 2019.
Mr Farooq Rehmani, former convener of APHC, noted that India has consistently refused to implement UN resolutions, complicating the process and committing serious human rights violations, particularly during the 1990s. He stressed that Kashmiris demand fulfillment of their long-standing right to self-determination, not the restoration of Articles 370 or 35A.
Ambassador Riffat Masood, Pakistan’s representative to the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), highlighted the plight of Kashmiri women, including half-widows, and urged Pakistan to mobilize public opinion domestically and internationally. She suggested appointing a UN special envoy for the Kashmir dispute and exploring ICC proceedings against Indian leadership for human rights violations.
The event was attended by intellectuals, students, and think tank members. Ambassador Khalid Mahmood praised the resilience of the Kashmiri people and reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast political, moral, and diplomatic support for the Kashmir cause.
