NEW YORK: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to maintain the Jammu and Kashmir dispute at the top of the international agenda and translate its principled solidarity with the Kashmiri people into sustained and effective diplomatic action.
Addressing the ministerial meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir in New York on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dar said the Kashmir dispute had remained unresolved for nearly eight decades and could only be settled through dialogue, diplomacy, international law and in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The deputy prime minister appreciated the continued support extended by the OIC Secretary General, members of the Contact Group, the OIC Special Representative for Jammu and Kashmir and the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission.
Dar said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been waiting for decades for the fulfillment of the commitment made by the international community to allow them to determine their future through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
He alleged that measures taken by India since August 5, 2019, were aimed at changing the demographic, political and cultural character of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. He also referred to restrictions on political and civic freedoms and alleged arrests and detentions of Kashmiri political leaders, activists, journalists and youth under stringent laws.
The foreign minister also raised concerns over restrictions on media freedom, including pressure and detention of journalists, closure of the Kashmir Press Club and blocking of social media accounts. He called for unhindered access to the region for international media and independent observers.
Dar referred to concerns raised internationally, including a joint communication issued under UN special procedures on October 16, 2025, which, according to him, highlighted allegations concerning arrests and detentions, demolitions, social media restrictions and hate speech and threats targeting Kashmiris and Muslims.
Referring to the Pakistan-India military confrontation in May 2025, Dar said the episode once again demonstrated the security risks posed by the unresolved Kashmir dispute. He said Pakistan had exercised its right of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter while seeking to prevent further escalation.
He stressed that military force could not resolve longstanding political disputes and said a lasting solution required dialogue, diplomacy and a just settlement in accordance with international law.
On the Indus Waters Treaty, Dar said attempts to unilaterally render the agreement ineffective had created another serious situation. He maintained that the treaty was a binding international agreement and that it did not permit either party to suspend it unilaterally.
Dar said Jammu and Kashmir remained an international dispute on the agenda of the UN Security Council, adding that domestic legislation, judicial decisions, electoral processes or demographic changes could not substitute for the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to pursuing a peaceful and just settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The deputy prime minister urged the OIC and its member states to maintain a united and prominent position on Kashmir at the United Nations and other international forums and intensify diplomatic efforts for implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
He also called for the reversal of measures taken since August 5, 2019, an end to alleged demographic changes, protection of the political, religious and cultural identity of Kashmiris, and the release of political prisoners and those detained arbitrarily.
Dar further called for unhindered access to Jammu and Kashmir for the OIC Special Representative and fact-finding mission, UN special procedures, international media and independent observers, as well as credible international accountability for alleged human rights violations.
He urged the OIC to strengthen coordinated diplomacy in New York and Geneva and support calls for an updated OIC report on Jammu and Kashmir.
Dar concluded by saying that the Kashmiri people were seeking fulfillment of an international commitment made to them decades ago rather than another promise from the international community. He stressed that the OIC should convert its continued support into effective diplomatic action and ensure that the Kashmir issue remains firmly on the global agenda.