The Consulate General of Pakistan in New York, together with the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, organised a side event at UN Headquarters on the margins of the 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day and spotlight social development challenges in conflict-affected and occupied territories, with particular attention to Jammu and Kashmir.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, said sustainable social development cannot be achieved in contexts of prolonged conflict and occupation. He highlighted how denial of fundamental rights, restrictions on political freedoms and socio-economic marginalization in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have undermined inclusive development and reiterated Pakistan’s call that the dispute should be resolved in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
The side event, titled Leaving No One Behind: Social Development Challenges in Conflict-Affected and Occupied Territories, featured a panel including Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz of Türkiye, Ambassador Hameed Ajibaiye Opeloyeru of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, journalist Abdul Hamid Siyam, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai of the World Forum for Peace & Justice and a Kashmiri representative. Panelists described the human and developmental toll of protracted conflicts, citing restrictions on civil liberties, limited access to education and healthcare and the wider socio-economic fallout for affected communities, and they urged continued multilateral engagement and strict adherence to international humanitarian and human rights law.
In closing remarks, Consul General Aamer Ahmed Atozai stressed that Kashmir remains a pressing humanitarian and human rights concern with direct implications for social development and regional stability. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s diplomatic and moral support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and called on the international community to uphold justice, human dignity and the principles of the United Nations Charter, underscoring that a just and lasting resolution is essential for peace, stability and inclusive development.
The event in New York on 5 February 2026 reiterated Pakistan’s appeal for sustained international attention and concrete measures to address the social development deficits arising from occupation and conflict and to advance the cause of Kashmir self-determination.
