Islamabad , February 7 2026 (Khyber Mail) – The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad, organised a webinar titled ‘The Kashmir Dispute in the Aftermath of the 2025 Conflict’ on February 4, 2026, examining the impact of the May 2025 hostilities on the Kashmiri population in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and exploring diplomatic, legal and political options available to Pakistan for strengthening international engagement on the issue.
The session, moderated by Air Marshal (Retd.) Zahid Mehmood, Senior Director at CASS, highlighted that the Kashmir dispute extends beyond territorial considerations and represents a political and humanitarian issue linked to the unfinished agenda of partition and the unfulfilled right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people as recognised by the United Nations.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Asma Shakir Khawaja, Executive Director of the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) AJK, said Kashmir holds central importance for India due to ideological motivations, strategic considerations involving China, control over water resources and the promotion of a majoritarian narrative over the region’s Muslim-majority population. From Pakistan’s perspective, she noted that the dispute is rooted in the principles of the Radcliffe Award, shared ethnic and religious ties, strategic imperatives and the emphasis on human rights and dignity.
She criticised the Modi government’s Kashmir policy, describing a declining appetite for peace, a more assertive security posture and prestige-driven narratives portraying India as a global leader. According to her, attempts to normalise the situation through tourism and sporting activities have not masked the coercive realities on the ground. She urged policymakers to move beyond symbolic measures by focusing on self-determination, humanising the conflict, countering ideological extremism and linking Kashmir with contemporary global debates to increase international attention.
Air Marshal Javaid Ahmed (Retd.), President of CASS, concluded the session by thanking the keynote speaker and reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to a just, durable and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant United Nations resolutions.