rki.news
Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK), Sept. 22: The Turkiye-based Kashmir Diaspora Coalition (KDC) has called upon United Nations member states to revive what it described as a credible and inclusive political process on Jammu and Kashmir, saying the longstanding dispute cannot be resolved without meaningful participation by the people of the territory.
In a representation submitted to UN member states on the occasion of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the KDC said the Kashmir question had remained part of the UN’s institutional and political record since 1948 and should not be treated merely as a contemporary bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan.
The coalition referred to UN Security Council resolutions concerning Jammu and Kashmir, including Resolutions 47 of April 21, 1948, 91 of March 30, 1951, and 122 of January 24, 1957.
The KDC also cited an Aug. 5, 2026 UN briefing in which the UN spokesperson, responding to a question concerning Jammu and Kashmir, said Security Council resolutions dating back to 1949 “have not changed” and reiterated the UN’s concern that the basic rights of the people of Kashmir be respected.
The coalition acknowledged that the international context had changed significantly since 1948, including wars between India and Pakistan, the 1972 Simla Agreement and subsequent constitutional and administrative changes on both sides of the Line of Control. It argued, however, that these developments had not produced a mutually accepted political settlement.
According to the KDC, India and Pakistan have legitimate security and diplomatic interests, while the people of Jammu and Kashmir are directly affected by the conflict and should therefore have a meaningful role in determining their political future.
The coalition said a sustainable settlement should address the historical UN record, political rights and aspirations of Kashmiris, security concerns of India and Pakistan, human rights, interests of communities and regions, economic and resource issues, and the need for a peaceful and internationally credible process.
On the Simla Agreement, the KDC acknowledged the bilateral framework between India and Pakistan but argued that bilateral engagement should not exclude the people of Jammu and Kashmir from a future political process.
The coalition said developments since August 2019 had significantly altered constitutional and administrative arrangements on the Indian-administered side of Jammu and Kashmir. It noted that India regards the changes as falling within its constitutional and sovereign framework, while the KDC opposes that position.
The KDC said post-2019 developments had generated continuing international debate over political representation, human rights, land and domicile rules, demographic concerns and the future status of the territory.
On human rights, the coalition called for a non-selective approach covering Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. It also called for stronger civilian protection, rejection of attacks against civilians, credible investigations into alleged violations, restraint by security forces and adherence to international humanitarian and human-rights standards.
The coalition proposed confidence-building measures including easier movement for divided families, restoration and expansion of cross-Line of Control contacts, cultural and academic exchanges, medical cooperation, environmental collaboration and regulated trade.
It also called for local participation in resource development, employment opportunities, environmental protection, transparent land and investment policies, water-resource management, hydropower benefit-sharing and protection of traditional livelihoods.
For a renewed political process, the KDC proposed a phased framework beginning with de-escalation and civilian protection, followed by humanitarian confidence-building measures, structured political dialogue and substantive negotiations on political status, security, territorial issues, rights, movement, economic cooperation, water resources, rehabilitation and minority protection.
The coalition proposed that future dialogue involve India, Pakistan and credible representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, with the composition and modalities to be negotiated by participants. It also called for international facilitation through an agreed third party without predetermining the outcome.
The KDC urged UN member states to encourage India and Pakistan to resume meaningful political dialogue, support Kashmiri participation, promote human rights and independent investigations into serious allegations, facilitate humanitarian contacts across the Line of Control and discourage unilateral steps that could further complicate prospects for a peaceful settlement.
The coalition said its approach was based on peace, dialogue, political participation, human rights, economic cooperation and regional stability. “Neither Delhi nor Islamabad can decide Kashmir’s future alone,” the KDC said, according to the press release.
The representation concluded by urging the international community to translate the UN’s historical record on Kashmir into a renewed diplomatic effort aimed at establishing a credible political process capable of addressing the interests and aspirations of all concerned.
