Pakistan’s Global Efforts for Kashmiri Self-Determination

Pakistan’s Global Efforts for Kashmiri Self-Determination

Pakistan’s advocacy for Kashmir’s rights under Indian occupation is deeply rooted in its foreign policy and strategic calculations. Pakistan presents the Kashmir issue as an unfinished matter from the partition of British India and advocates as a leading voice for Kashmiri self-determination. Its approach combines diplomatic engagement, multilateral efforts and humanitarian advocacy to internationalize the crisis. Pakistan calls on international law and UN resolutions to rally global support and urge India to resolve the longstanding conflict.


By Azharullah Khattak

The Kashmir conflict remains a central issue in South Asian geopolitics, rooted in the disputed and controversial accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1947. Following the partition of British India, princely states were to decide their future based on geographical contiguity and the will of their people. Despite Jammu and Kashmir’s Muslim-majority population and its geographic alignment with Pakistan, the then-Maharaja Hari Singh signed an Instrument of Accession with India under contentious circumstances. This agreement was reached without the consent of the Kashmiri people and under the pressure of India’s military intervention. As Pakistan contested this illegal accession, the first Indo-Pak war erupted, leading India to take the matter to the United Nations in 1948. The UN passed resolutions mandating a plebiscite to allow Kashmiris to determine their future, but these resolutions remain unimplemented, leaving the region in a perpetual state of conflict.


India’s unilateral revocation of Article 370 in 2019 further intensified tensions, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and heightening Pakistan’s diplomatic response. Through sustained engagement at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and various regional platforms, Pakistan has consistently raised the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). Pakistan’s leadership has repeatedly highlighted human rights violations in the region in addresses to the UN General Assembly, while its Permanent Mission to the UN has kept the issue alive through speeches, reports and lobbying efforts.


The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been a crucial platform for Pakistan in securing support for the Kashmir cause. Over the years, the OIC has passed several resolutions condemning India’s actions in IIOJ&K and reaffirming its support for Kashmiri self-determination. Pakistan’s leadership has ensured that the issue remains central to the OIC’s agenda, while the organization’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission has documented human rights violations in the region.


Pakistan’s engagement with global powers on Kashmir has been complex. While allies like China and Turkey openly support Pakistan’s stance, others remain cautious due to their strategic ties with India. However, Pakistan has used its partnerships, particularly with China, to counter India’s narrative on the international stage. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has further strengthened this alliance, giving Pakistan greater diplomatic leverage in global forums.

 

Media and advocacy have helped highlight the Kashmir issue. Pakistan uses diplomacy and modern tools to share Kashmiri voices on social media and global news platforms. Pakistani diaspora groups and NGOs have also contributed through protests, seminars and lobbying efforts in major cities worldwide, reinforcing Pakistan’s position on IIOJ&K. Beyond diplomacy, Pakistan has extended consistent humanitarian support to Kashmiris, particularly those displaced by the conflict.


Refugee camps in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) highlight the ongoing crisis, with Pakistan’s government and NGOs providing education, healthcare and livelihood support. Pakistan has called for an independent investigation into human rights violations in IIOJ&K, aligning its demands with international human rights law. The reports by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2018 and 2019 have further strengthened Pakistan’s case, reinforcing global calls for accountability in the region.


Despite all this Pakistan has a long way to go. But India’s strategic alliances especially with the US, other Western powers, help diluting international criticism to its actions in IIOJ&K; and also geopolitical dynamics, such as the terrorism counter, economic issues sometimes overshadow human rights. Both Pakistan’s internal political and economic instability also limit. The international support for the Kashmiri cause depends on a sturdy, sturdy foreign policy. Pakistan’s narrative is also countered by India’s claims of cross border terrorism making it difficult to promote its advocacy.


Pakistan’s relentless pushing of Kashmiri cause all around the globe is as reflected in its role in Pakistan in advocating for IIOJ&K. Pakistan is trying to use diplomatic and multilateral forums and grassroots advocacy to maintain publicity for the issue in international circles. Pakistan made these efforts while confronting challenges, in light of which a just and peaceful solution to the Kashmir conflict is of prime importance in keeping with aspirations of the Kashmiri people and international legal standards. Reaching the way forward will require sustained diplomatic engagement, strategic alliances and a unifying national position to hear the voices of Kashmiri people and protect their rights.


The writer is a research intern at the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) and serves as the Eternal Coordinator of HEAL Pakistan, an initiative dedicated to fostering humanity, education empowerment, awareness and leadership.

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