Kashmiri Groups Urge UN to Implement Resolutions, Seek Plebiscite Roadmap
MUZAFFARABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Two Kashmiri groups have urged the United Nations to move beyond reaffirming Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed and unresolved issue and take concrete steps towards implementing relevant UN resolutions, including developing a roadmap for a free and impartial plebiscite.
The Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) and Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) issued separate statements welcoming the UN’s reaffirmation of the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir while arguing that repeated diplomatic recognition alone had failed to produce a resolution.
JKSM Calls for Practical UN Action
JKSM spokesman Dr Irfan Ghani called on the international organisation to establish an effective mechanism for implementing its resolutions on Kashmir.
According to the group, the United Nations should develop a clear roadmap that could advance the process towards what it describes as a free and impartial plebiscite allowing Kashmiris to determine their political future.
The statement reflects the longstanding position of Kashmiri groups that support self-determination under the framework of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
JKDFP Welcomes UN Position
The JKDFP also welcomed the UN’s continued recognition of Kashmir as an unresolved dispute.
Its General Secretary Dr Ghulam Rasool argued that the international community should translate diplomatic recognition into practical action.
Both organisations maintained that simply reiterating the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir without establishing an implementation mechanism was insufficient.
Their statements called for greater international engagement aimed at resolving the dispute through peaceful means.
Pakistan Recently Reiterated Its Kashmir Position
The latest calls come days after Pakistan’s Foreign Office again rejected India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir.
Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said on September 7 that Pakistan regarded Jammu and Kashmir as one of the oldest unresolved disputes on the UN Security Council agenda.
Pakistan maintains that the region’s final status should be determined in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
Islamabad also argues that India’s constitutional and administrative actions cannot unilaterally alter what Pakistan considers the internationally recognised disputed status of the territory.
India Maintains Different Position
India rejects Pakistan’s interpretation and maintains that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.
New Delhi also rejects third-party mediation over Kashmir and treats the issue as one to be addressed under its own constitutional framework and, where relevant, bilaterally with Pakistan.
This difference between the Indian and Pakistani positions remains fundamental to the decades-old dispute.
India revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, bringing the region more directly under the federal government’s administrative and constitutional framework.
Pakistan strongly rejected the move and subsequently downgraded diplomatic relations with India.
Kashmir Remains Flashpoint Between Nuclear-Armed Neighbours
The Kashmir dispute dates back to the partition of British India in 1947.
India and Pakistan both claim the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in full but administer separate parts of the territory.
The dispute has contributed to wars, military confrontations and prolonged diplomatic tensions between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours.
The United Nations became involved in the dispute soon after partition, and a series of Security Council resolutions addressed ceasefire arrangements and proposals concerning the future status of the territory.
Pakistan Cites UNSC Resolutions
Pakistan continues to cite those resolutions as the basis for its demand that Kashmiris be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination.
During Youm-e-Istehsal in August, Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership again called for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described Kashmir as a major unresolved issue affecting peace and stability in South Asia and urged the international community to play a more active role.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar similarly reaffirmed Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support for Kashmiris.
JKSM Seeks Roadmap Rather Than Reaffirmation
The significant element in the latest JKSM and JKDFP statements is their emphasis on implementation rather than diplomatic reaffirmation.
Their argument is that acknowledging Kashmir’s disputed status does not by itself advance a political settlement.
They therefore want the United Nations to establish a mechanism and roadmap that could translate existing international commitments into a practical political process.
The organisations specifically linked that process to a plebiscite.
Whether such a mechanism could realistically be established would depend on international diplomacy and, crucially, the positions of India and Pakistan.
Kashmir Dispute Remains Politically Sensitive
The issue remains one of the most politically sensitive disputes in South Asia.
Tensions intensified significantly after the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. India blamed Pakistan-based elements, while Islamabad rejected the allegation.
The crisis subsequently escalated into direct military exchanges before the two sides agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, 2025.
Those developments again highlighted the broader security implications of unresolved India-Pakistan disputes.
Calls for Peaceful Resolution Continue
Pakistan has continued raising Kashmir at international forums during 2026.
In July, Islamabad told the UN Security Council that Kashmir was not India’s internal matter and called for implementation of UN resolutions and recognition of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
The JKSM and JKDFP statements add Kashmiri political voices to those diplomatic demands.
Their central message is that the United Nations should move from recognising the dispute towards establishing a practical mechanism for implementing its relevant resolutions.
For now, however, the positions of the principal parties remain far apart, and no new internationally agreed plebiscite mechanism has been announced.
