Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon chaired an in-camera meeting of the parliamentary Kashmir committee at Parliament House, Islamabad on 30 December 2025. The session opened with a Fatiha for the late mother of the chairman before moving to substantive discussions on the political, educational and human rights dimensions of the Kashmir issue.
The chairman underlined that the Kashmir dispute remains an unfinished agenda of the subcontinent’s partition and called for a fair and durable resolution in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions. He stressed that more than seven decades of denial of the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir represents a persistent challenge to the global conscience.
Members agreed that an effective national narrative is needed to present the Kashmir cause internationally, and the chairman urged youth, intellectuals and media to play a coordinated role in that effort. He highlighted the importance of strengthening research and excellence in Azad Jammu and Kashmir universities and recommended inclusion of Kashmir studies, Kashmiri culture and the historical freedom movement within the national curriculum. The committee also recommended the establishment of technical and vocational institutes in Azad Kashmir to meet urgent skills and employment needs.
Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, praised the committee’s work and said universities in Azad Kashmir are contributing to higher quality education while the region’s development remains a priority. He strongly condemned serious human rights violations by Indian forces in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and called for sustained international attention to these abuses.
Chaudhry Latif Akbar, acting President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, reiterated Pakistan’s long-standing diplomatic advocacy for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He urged that Kashmiri language, culture and heritage be incorporated into educational curricula and appealed for federal support to ensure financial stability for Azad Kashmir universities.
The meeting reached consensus that Kashmir is a central pillar of Pakistan’s national and foreign policy and that raising awareness among youth is essential to shape global public opinion. Participants included Federal Minister Aurangzeb Khichi, Senators Pervaiz Rasheed and Zamir Hussain, MNAs Mirza Ikhtiyar Baig, Abrar Ahmed, Chaudhry Nasir Ahmed Abbas, Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Asad Alam Niazi, vice chancellors of Azad Jammu and Kashmir universities and senior officials of relevant institutions who committed to follow up on the committee’s education and advocacy recommendations.
