Muzaffarabad, AJK President Barrister Sultan Mohammad Mehmood Chaudhry has mandated the creation of Kashmir Studies Institutes within each university in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. This initiative aims to deepen the understanding and dissemination of Kashmiri culture and the ongoing dispute over Kashmir to a global audience.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Chaudhry’s directive was issued during a meeting with Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, a prominent Kashmiri rights activist and Secretary General of the Kashmir-American Awareness Forum. The meeting also included Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, and several vice-chancellors from AJK universities.

The AJK President emphasized the importance of these institutes in highlighting the myriad injustices and human rights violations perpetrated by India in occupied Kashmir, including acts of terrorism that extend beyond Kashmir, as evidenced by incidents involving the Sikh community in Canada. Chaudhry stated, “The establishment of the Azad Kashmir government was to highlight the Kashmir issue internationally to pave the way for freedom of occupied Jammu and Kashmir from Indian clutches.”

The meeting also addressed the vital role of education in societal progress, with Chaudhry urging universities to strive for international standards in educational quality and to foster a culture of hard work and commitment among students. Dr. Fai, meanwhile, reiterated the need for global intervention to enforce UN resolutions on the Kashmir dispute, calling for international human rights bodies to take notice of the situation.