India’s Post-2019 Kashmir Actions ‘Legally Untenable : Rizwan Saeed Sheikh

WASHINGTON D.C. – Pakistan’s ambassador to America, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, emphasized that diplomacy must be a top priority in resolving global conflicts, including the Kashmir issue. Speaking at a seminar organized by the Pakistan Embassy in commemoration of Kashmir Solidarity Day, he stressed the need to create an environment that allows for meaningful and effective dialogue between India and Pakistan. According to him, a long-term resolution to the Kashmir conflict and the hope for regional peace can best be achieved through diplomatic efforts.

Sheikh called on the international community to actively engage in resolving longstanding disputes, particularly Kashmir and Palestine, highlighting their shared historical context. He criticized India’s actions after August 5, 2019, as legally untenable and referenced UN Resolution 122, which reaffirms Kashmir’s international status and states that unilateral measures cannot replace a UN-supervised plebiscite. He urged global powers to renew their focus on these critical issues and play a more proactive role in addressing them.

At the seminar, former Pakistani Ambassador Tauqir Hussain emphasized that Kashmiris must challenge India’s unilateral actions to push it toward negotiations. Similarly, former Norwegian MP Lars Rise accused India of committing war crimes in the region and stressed the importance of documenting human rights violations for foreign policy advocacy in major world capitals. The event reinforced calls for diplomacy and international intervention to seek a just resolution to the Kashmir dispute.