New York: During a Kashmir solidarity meeting in New York, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram drew significant parallels between the legal situations in Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings on Palestine should similarly influence the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Ambassador Akram highlighted that the ICJ’s findings on Palestine underscored fundamental international law principles, notably the right to self-determination and the prohibition against acquiring territory by force. These principles, he argued, are equally applicable to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially following India’s revocation of the region’s special status five years ago.
During his speech, which commemorated the fifth anniversary of India’s actions in Jammu and Kashmir, Akram emphasized that the ICJ’s conclusions have solidified into tenets of international law that should now be considered in the context of Kashmir. He stressed the United Nations’ responsibility to not recognize illegal occupations and to pursue actions to resolve such situations.
The event, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN and the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York, saw wide-ranging participation from international diplomats, including the Permanent Representative of Turkiye, members of the OIC Contact Group on Kashmir, and figures from the Kashmiri diaspora. Discussions revolved around applying international judicial precedents to advocate for Kashmir’s self-determination and an end to the occupation.
Additional speakers, such as Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, senior Palestinian journalist Abdelhamid Siyam, OIC Mission’s Ambassador Hameed Ajibaiye Opeloyeru, and Senator Lt. General (rtd) Abdul Qayyum, contributed to a dialogue that reinforced the international dimensions of the Kashmir issue and the necessity of global intervention.