Pakistan will never compromise on Kashmir, no matter what the compulsion: Mujeebur Rehman Shami
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai says the sanity of int’l agreements must remain one of the bases of a sane & stable international order
MOSCOW ( WEB NEWS )
Ninth International Kashmir Webinar was organized by Kashmir Alliance Forum, Moscow to observe the August 5, 2025, as the day of re-occupation of Kashmir. The webinar was organized by Shahid Ghuman, a well-known journalist and the President of Kashmir Alliance Forum, Moscow. Shahid Ghuman explained that the Abrogation of article 370 and 35 on August 5, 2019, can only be described as a catastrophe over a seven decade’s old tragedy. Shahid Ghuman added that the people of Indian occupied Kashmir have never reconciled with the occupation and Indian regimes have continued to unleash state terror on innocent civilians.
Regrettably, Shahid Ghuman outlined that the world powers have consistently remained silent on the human rights violations in Kashmir while India has responded with increasing brutality, and imprisonment of political leaders and human rights activists. Since its annexation on August 5, 2019, peace remains elusive in Kashmir. Free speech is increasingly suppressed and curtailed. While the world powers are busy with other intentional conflicts, be it Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, etc, Kashmiris find no recourse but to pursue their peaceful struggle for achieving their right to self-determination which was guaranteed under 16 substantive UN Security Council resolutions, Shahid Ghuman elaborated.
Mujeebur Rehman Shami, one of the most distinguished and award-winning journalists of Pakistan wanted to send a clear message to the brothers and sisters in Indian occupied Kashmir that under no circumstance will the Government and the people of Pakistan compromise on Kashmir, regardless of the pressure or compulsion. Shami Sahib succinctly outlined the principles of multilateralism and collaborative engagement, emphasizing that no party should present demands without reasonable assurance of a favorable result.
Mujeebur Rehman Shami maintained that not only the people of Kashmir but also the people of Pakistan were looking towards the outcome of the Presidency of Pakistan at the Security Council. Pakistan, being a non-permanent member of the Security Council has limitations in raising an issue for discussion unless consensus is achieved. Despite those impediments and constraints, Pakistan as the President of Security Council was able to introduce Kashmir and Palestine for high level open debate on July 22, 2025 under the agenda item, “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes.” Ishaq Dar the foreign minister presided over the debate.
Irshad Ahmed Arif, analyst, columnist and one of the prominent journalists of Pakistan said that after having met with policy making agencies and personalities of Pakistan along with his colleague, he can say with a reasonable degree of confidence that they will always stand with the oppressed people of Kashmir, no matter what. However, Irshad Ahmed Arif warned that the changes that are taking place in Indian occupied Kashmir since August 5, 2019 are designed to change the demography of Kashmir. There is no doubt that India is trying to erase the culture and identity of Kashmiri Muslims.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice said that no degree of suffering and desolation in Kashmir, no scale of atrocities, no trampling on human rights, no thought of the danger to peace in the subcontinent, at least of the fragility of that peace because of a festering dispute, has served to rouse the Western powers from a supine posture. That is why we feel impelled to educate the corridors of power everywhere, and to articulate the recognition that the situation in Kashmir is not frozen and if at times it seems so, it will not stay frozen. The call needs to be renewed from every level, even one as modest as ours, for exploring all humane and reasonable avenues to deliver the men, women and children of Kashmir from a suffering as acute and unbearable as it is wholly unmerited and entirely politically caused.
Dr. Fai added that the sanity of international agreements must remain one of the bases of a sane and stable international order. The Kashmir issue involves that principle most pointedly.
Lord Nazir Ahmed, a globally known human rights defender, be it Rohingya Muslims, Palestine, Kashmir or else, briefed the participants about the role of British parliamentarians in mobilizing the public opinion in the United Kingdom. Lord Ahmed said that the whole world knows the nature of atrocities and brutality being perpetrated by 900,000 Indian army on the innocent civilian population of Indian occupied Kashmir, yet, other than weak expressions of concern, they took no concrete steps to address the ongoing human rights violations there.
Ambassador Malik Nadeem Abid, Secretary General, International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) highlighted the role of a member country of the United Nations in sensitizing the mechanism and system of the world body. IHRC is an international NGO which is accredited with the United Nations, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The vision of IHRC is to dedicate and to protect the human rights of people around the world and promoting the culture of peace among nations.
Ambassador Nadeem Abid said that the people of Kashmir expect Pakistan to play a substantive role in bringing Kashmir issue to the fore front being a non-permanent member the Security Council. The people of Kashmir would like to have a discussion at the Security Council on the issues like the mass rape at Kanun Poshpora, imprisonment of political prisoners in Kashmir, mass graves that were discovered in Kashmir by Indian human rights activists, etc.
Ali Raza Syed, President, Kashmir Council, EU said that he is an active participant at the deliberations and discussions of the European Parliament. He added that one million signature campaign, initiated by Kashmir Council, EU regarding Kashmir is still going one. We need Kashmiri delegations from Azad Kasmir that should include not only politicians but also academics and scholars. He suggested to the Pakistani foreign office to include a Kashmir representative whenever a delegation is sent aboard.
Dr. Nadia Mehr Din, Assistant Professor, Panjab University and the first Pakistani female academics who obtained her PhD from University of Kashmir, Srinagar gave her eye-witness report about the situation in Kashmir.. Her thesis was, “Medieval History of Kashmir.” Dr. Nadia narrated horrifying stories of the families in Indian occupied Kashmir whose sons have disappeared, and no one knows whether they are dead or alive. People of all ages have been unjustly detained for trivial matters.
Dr. Nadia explained that people in Kashmir Valley choose either silence or speech carefully, fearing they might be punished.
Syed Manzoor Hussain Shah, son of the soil recounted the violations after violation in Indian occupied Kashmir. He said that one does not need to be an Einstein to understand the sinister design of India by issuing more than 4.7 million Domicile certificate in Kashmir. The objective is clear: The demographic reduction of the Muslim majority.
Manzoor Hussain Shah added that India has been involved in the custodial killings of Kashmiri political leaders even in jails, like Ashraf Sehrayee, Altaf Fintoosh and others.
Raja Mukhtar Sony of Spain said that the Kashmiri and Pakistani diaspora need to be applauded for pleading the case of the oppressed people of Kashmir at the global fora. Raja Mukhtar informed that Friends of Kashmir in Denmark are in the process of initiating a tangible strategy in the nearest future.
Advocate Ilyas Raja from Britian said that his fraternity in England has always put forth the legal dimension of the Kashmir issue. We have held seminar and discussion groups in various cities including college campuses to highlight the changes in demography that took place after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A in Indian occupied Kashmir, Advocate Ilyas Raja added.
Malik Shahbaz, President Pakistan Community Russia said that despite the small size of the Pakistani community in Moscow, we have been able to meet with many policy making personalities and informed them about the latest situation in Kashmir. Malik Shahbaz added that they were pleasantly surprised that most of the policy making personalities were eager to know the details of the human rights violations in Kashmir.
Arsalan Asgher, young human rights activist and General Secretary Kashmir Alliance Forum Moscow concluded the webinar by thanking the participants for their rich intellectual contribution.