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Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar addressed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Jammu and Kashmir Contact Group Ministerial Meeting held in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Reiterating Pakistan's support for the Kashmiri people, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been waiting for nearly 80 years for the implementation of their right to determine their future through a free and impartial plebiscite under United Nations auspices.

The Pakistani official claimed that measures taken by India since August 5, 2019 were aimed at changing the demographic, political and cultural structure of Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that political and civic space in the region had been restricted.

The official alleged that Kashmiri leaders, activists, journalists and young people faced arbitrary detention, torture and persecution, and claimed that political organizations had been banned and dissent criminalized.

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister argued that new domicile and land laws, changes to electoral constituencies, the addition of non-Kashmiris to voter rolls and practices concerning property were being used to alter the demographic structure of the region.

The official also claimed that media freedoms in the region had been restricted, saying journalists faced intimidation, surveillance and detention, the Kashmir Press Club had been closed and some social media accounts had been blocked.

The Pakistani official said a joint communication by the United Nations Special Procedures dated October 16, 2025 also addressed issues including the arrest and detention of about 2,800 people, including journalists and human rights defenders, the demolition of homes and the blocking of about 8,000 social media accounts.

Referring also to the conflict between Pakistan and India following the Pahalgam incident in May 2025, the official argued that the development demonstrated the consequences of leaving the Jammu and Kashmir issue unresolved. The official claimed that India made accusations against Pakistan and launched a military attack, and said Pakistan exercised its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and acted to prevent further escalation.

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said the fact that two nuclear-armed countries had entered into direct military conflict over a long-running dispute demonstrated that political disagreements could not be resolved through military force. The official said a solution required dialogue, diplomacy and addressing the root causes of the dispute in accordance with international law.

Commenting on the Indus Waters Treaty, the Pakistani official argued that India's attempt to unilaterally suspend the treaty represented a dangerous development. The official said the treaty was a binding international agreement and that the obligations under it remained in force.

The Pakistani official maintained that Jammu and Kashmir remained an international dispute on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council, saying domestic law, judicial decisions, electoral processes or demographic changes could not substitute for the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination.

The official said Pakistan would remain committed to a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, and also called on OIC member states to intensify diplomatic efforts.

In this context, Pakistan called on the OIC to present a common and visible position at the United Nations and other international platforms, urge India to reverse the measures it has taken since August 5, 2019, and call for the release of political prisoners and people arbitrarily detained.

Pakistan also called for unrestricted access to Jammu and Kashmir for the OIC Special Envoy and Fact-Finding Mission, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Procedures, international media and independent observers.

The speech also called for strengthening diplomatic coordination conducted by the OIC in New York and Geneva and for support for the OIC's call for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare an updated report on Jammu and Kashmir.

At the end of his remarks, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister reiterated his call for the OIC's solidarity on Kashmir to be translated into sustained diplomatic action and for the Jammu and Kashmir issue to remain on the international agenda.