The Consulate General of Pakistan in New York, together with the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, convened a side event on the margins of the 64th Session of the Commission for Social Development to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day and spotlight social, economic and human development challenges in conflict-affected and occupied territories, with particular emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, delivered the keynote remarks, stressing that sustainable social development is unattainable in contexts of prolonged conflict and occupation. He warned that the denial of fundamental rights, restrictions on political freedoms and socio-economic marginalization in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have severely undermined inclusive development and reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute must be resolved in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and the inalienable right to self-determination.
The panel included Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz, Permanent Representative of Türkiye and Chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers; Ambassador Hameed Ajibaiye Opeloyeru, Permanent Observer of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; Palestinian journalist Abdul Hamid Siyam; Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman of the World Forum for Peace & Justice; and a Kashmiri representative. Panelists highlighted the human and developmental costs of protracted conflicts, pointing to restrictions on civil liberties, reduced access to education and healthcare, and the wider socio-economic fallout for affected communities.
Speakers underlined the need for sustained multilateral engagement, full adherence to international humanitarian and human rights law, and continuous international attention to unresolved disputes so that commitments to leave no one behind are implemented in practice. The discussion reiterated that durable social progress requires the restoration of rights and meaningful political solutions.
In his concluding remarks, Consul General Aamer Ahmed Atozai described Kashmir as an urgent humanitarian and human rights concern with direct consequences for social development and regional stability. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s diplomatic, political 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, stressing that a just and lasting resolution is essential for peace, stability and inclusive development.
The observance at CSocD64 in New York served to keep the plight of affected populations on the international agenda and to press for concrete multilateral action to address the development deficits borne by those living under occupation and in conflict-affected areas.
New York, 5 February 2026.
