Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai
Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice

World Kashmir Awareness Forum Calls for Peaceful Resolution Through Dialogue, International Engagement, and the Freely Expressed Will of the Kashmiri People

New York, (TW News) — Digital advertising trucks carrying messages about Kashmir’s disputed status, human rights, and the right to self-determination traveled through prominent areas of New York City, including Times Square and the vicinity of United Nations headquarters, as Kashmiris and their supporters marked October 27 as the day of occupation.

Organized by the Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF), the initiative sought to draw international attention to the longstanding Kashmir dispute and urge renewed efforts toward a peaceful, just, and lasting settlement involving India, Pakistan, and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Electronic screens mounted on the trucks displayed messages including: “No Election, No Selection: UN Resolutions Only Solution”; “India: Stop Land Grabbing in Kashmir”; “Kashmiris Demand Right of Self-Determination”; “Kashmiris Reject Indian Occupation: UN Resolution Only Solution”; “Indian Army Out of Kashmir”; and “India: Release Political Prisoners Unconditionally.”

Other messages highlighted the unresolved status of the territory and called on the international community to renew diplomatic efforts toward a settlement consistent with the aspirations and rights of the Kashmiri people.

The vehicles traveled past prominent New York landmarks and diplomatic locations, including Times Square, the United Nations headquarters, Rockefeller Center, the Freedom Tower, the Empire State Building, and various United Nations missions.

Dr. Ghulam N. Mir, president of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum and executive producer of Saffron Kingdom, said Kashmiris observe October 27 as a day of grief, remembrance, and protest because Indian troops entered Jammu and Kashmir on October 27, 1947, amid the unresolved dispute over the territory’s accession.

Dr. Mir questioned the historical circumstances surrounding the Instrument of Accession and cited British historian Alastair Lamb’s writings, which challenged the accepted account of the document and its historical provenance.

Dr. Mir emphasized that the United Nations addressed the Kashmir dispute through resolutions adopted in 1948 and 1949, which form a central part of the international record concerning the territory’s future. “The people of Kashmir continue to look to the United Nations and the international community to help fulfill the commitments made concerning their right to determine their future,” Dr. Mir said. He called for renewed diplomatic engagement and a peaceful resolution that respects the rights and aspirations of all communities affected by the dispute.

Dr. Imtiaz Khan, a Kashmiri American scholar, said developments in recent years had intensified concerns about Kashmir’s political identity, land rights, and demographic future.

He pointed to the Indian government’s August 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and subsequent changes to domicile and land regulations. Critics of these policies argue that they could weaken local political control and alter the region’s demographic balance.

Dr. Khan also raised concerns about restrictions on political expression, detentions, and security measures affecting civil liberties. “October 27 should serve as a call for international scrutiny, accountability, and renewed efforts to secure a peaceful resolution grounded in the freely expressed wishes of the Kashmiri people,” he said.

Dr. Khan stressed that a durable settlement must prioritize dialogue, respect for human rights, and the prevention of further suffering.

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, chairman of the World Forum, said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had endured decades of conflict, displacement, political uncertainty, and allegations of human rights abuses.

He called for credible, independent investigations into allegations of excessive force, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and other serious violations, emphasizing that accountability and due process should apply regardless of political affiliation.

Dr. Fai acknowledged that the Indian government presents its security measures as necessary to combat terrorism and protect its territorial integrity. However, he noted that many Kashmiris who oppose Indian rule view the extensive military and security presence as a source of political coercion and insecurity.

“A durable settlement cannot emerge simply by imposing one side’s narrative on the other,” Dr. Fai said. “It requires meaningful dialogue, respect for human rights, and a genuine commitment to resolving the dispute peacefully.”

He added that the United Nations had been involved in the Kashmir dispute since its earliest years, but decades of international diplomacy had not produced a mutually accepted political settlement.

Sardar Taj Khan, the principal organizer of the digital truck campaign and senior vice chairman of Kashmir Mission, USA, said the Kashmir dispute should not be viewed solely through the lens of India-Pakistan relations. He argued that the future of Jammu and Kashmir must also reflect the rights, political aspirations, and freely expressed wishes of its people.

“The Kashmir dispute cannot be resolved by treating it exclusively as a bilateral territorial contest or by excluding Kashmiris from decisions about their own future,” Sardar Taj Khan said. “A peaceful settlement requires meaningful participation by the Kashmiri people, sustained engagement between India and Pakistan, and constructive international diplomacy.”

Sardar Taj urged the international community to encourage confidence-building measures, reduce tensions, protect fundamental rights, and support negotiations aimed at a peaceful and lasting settlement.

Mohammad Ahmed Hasan, an eighth-grade student, expressed disappointment over what he described as the limited international response to the suffering of Kashmiris. He called on world leaders to pay greater attention to human rights concerns and support peaceful, democratic approaches to resolving the dispute.

Syed Hasan Raza, a human rights activist, similarly urged international powers to translate their stated commitment to human rights and democratic principles into meaningful diplomatic engagement. He said the stakes extended beyond Kashmir itself.

“The future of our people, the stability of South Asia, and the credibility of the international commitment to human rights are all connected to finding a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” Syed Hasan Raza said.

Raja Razak, a prominent leader of Muslim League (N), warned that the unresolved dispute posed continuing risks to regional and international security because India and Pakistan are both nuclear-armed states.

He noted that previous wars and recurring tensions between the two countries underscore the dangers of allowing the conflict to remain unresolved.

Razak called for sustained international diplomatic engagement to help India and Pakistan reduce tensions and pursue a peaceful settlement that takes into account the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The World Kashmir Awareness Forum said the October 27 initiative was intended to bring renewed public attention to Kashmir and encourage international engagement with a dispute that has remained unresolved for decades.

The organization called for a comprehensive peace process involving India, Pakistan, and representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It emphasized the importance of dialogue, protection of human rights, confidence-building measures, and respect for the political aspirations of the region’s diverse communities.

The Forum maintained that military confrontation, unilateral measures, and prolonged political exclusion would not provide a lasting solution. Instead, it urged all parties to pursue negotiations in good faith and work toward a future in which Kashmiris can live with dignity, security, and meaningful political agency.

At the conclusion of the event, Dr. Fai thanked Manzoor Hussain of DUNYA Television for spending several hours covering the initiative.

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai can be reached at:
WhatsApp: 1-202-607-6435
gnfai2003@yahoo.com