India’s Kashmir Revocation Challenged as Violation of Global Law

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India’s decision to revoke the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 has come under renewed international scrutiny, with legal experts calling the move a direct violation of binding global agreements. Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani, a respected Kashmiri jurist and president of the Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights (JKCHR), has strongly criticized New Delhi’s actions, urging Pakistan to intensify diplomatic efforts to defend the rights of the Kashmiri people.

Speaking at a press conference in Muzaffarabad, Dr. Gilani emphasized that India’s unilateral move contradicted its earlier commitments made to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 1948. At the time, India agreed to a plebiscite to allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine their future, a promise enshrined in multiple UNSC resolutions. He argued that India’s 2019 revocation of Article 370, which granted the region its autonomy, is legally untenable and morally indefensible.

Dr. Gilani specifically pointed to United Nations Security Council Resolution 91 (1951), which reaffirms the disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir and asserts that any final status must be determined in accordance with the will of the people. “India cannot make unilateral changes to the legal and political status of a territory that remains under international dispute,” he stated.

Adding weight to his argument, Dr. Gilani revealed that the Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights (JKCHR) had formally submitted documentation to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General. This document was officially published as a UN General Assembly record on June 9, 2021, reinforcing the legal basis for challenging India’s decision.

In addition to the legal violations, Dr. Gilani condemned ongoing human rights abuses in the region, including the imprisonment of political figures such as Syed Shabbir Shah, Yasin Malik, Zafar Akbar Butt, and Aasiya Andrabi. He described the situation as a humanitarian crisis that transcends politics, demanding immediate international attention and intervention.

He also stressed that public opinion across the globe has grown increasingly sympathetic toward the Kashmiri cause, particularly as reports of suppression and excessive military presence have emerged from the region. “The suffering of the Kashmiri people is a call for action,” Dr. Gilani emphasized.

Calling on Pakistan to act as a responsible party in the dispute, Dr. Gilani urged officials to strengthen international advocacy in forums such as Geneva and New York. He believes that with coordinated diplomatic pressure and principled legal arguments, a just resolution for the people of Kashmir remains within reach.