Veteran diplomat and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan, issued a stark warning today that failure to find a just and peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue poses grave risks to regional security, including the potential for a conflict between two nuclear powers.
Addressing a large gathering of students and faculty at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST), the former ambassador to the United States, China, and the United Nations stated that despite being a nuclear state, Pakistan remains committed to peacefully resolving conflicts through strategic patience, dialogue, and diplomacy.
Khan emphasized that the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination is a “natural and inalienable right” grounded in international law, universal moral principles, and justice. He stressed that numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions affirm this right, mandating a free and impartial plebiscite to determine the people’s political future.
He clarified that this fundamental principle of international law cannot be unilaterally abrogated and that Pakistan’s consistent constitutional and diplomatic stance has always prioritized the aspirations of the Kashmiri people in any future political settlement.
Providing historical context, Khan refuted the perception that the Kashmiris’ freedom movement began in 1947, explaining that its history is rooted in two centuries of resistance against various oppressive regimes. He pointed out that under the Indian Independence Act of 1947, both geographical proximity and demographic composition favored Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan.
He explained that Pakistan’s strategic narrative is based on international legal legitimacy, moral steadfastness, and the defense of human rights. It also includes strong opposition to the constitutional, demographic, and political changes implemented in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir following the events of August 5, 2019.
The former President urged educational institutions to play a more proactive role in shaping a cohesive national narrative. Citing United Nations Development Programme data that 64% of Pakistan’s population is under 30, he advised students to seriously study international law, critically examine different perspectives, and advocate for the Kashmir cause with intellectual clarity and confidence.
Describing the long-standing conflict as a “critical test for the credibility of the global legal system,” Khan concluded that the issue is not merely a territorial dispute but a profound struggle for human dignity, justice, and the democratic right to self-determination.