Webinar by School of International Service
On July 15, 2020, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan attended a webinar about “The Future of Kashmir & the Challenges of COVID-19,” which was planned by the School of International Service (SAIS). Stating Kashmir was a flashpoint for undermining peace and security in South Asia. He emphasized the requirements for a long-term resolution for the decades-old debate dependent on the yearnings of Kashmiri individuals.
The moderator for the webinar was Professor Akbar S. Ahmed, the Ibn-Khaldun chair of Islamic Studies at American University.
Salient Discussion Points of the Webinar
Drawing audience attention to the progressing human rights condition in Indian involved Jammu and Kashmir. The ambassador said New Delhi was utilizing the Covid-19 circumstance to propel its plan in Kashmir through suppression and brutality.
Ambassador khan underscored that more than 8 million individuals in IOJK were living in open-air jails during a problematic pandemic. Moreover, he emphasized the Indian Government\’s tactics of subjective arrests, vanishings, torment, and the utilization of pellet firearms. All these acts of injustice keep on smothering the just struggle of Kashmiris for their entitlement to self-assurance.
An international failure
Furthermore, he mentioned the overall deteriorating Covid-19 situation for the Kashmiris. He also expanded on India’s communication surveillance and control. As well as the lack of access to medical and other essential supplies adding that it was a matter of grave concern for Pakistan.
Kashmir is a failure for the international organizations like the United Nations. These international organizations, as well as countries like the United States, must utilize their impact to push the Indian government to determine this issue through dialogue and commitment. “A deeply rooted solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute according to the desires of the people of Kashmir will guarantee peace and prosperity in the area” he added.
Pandemic Update Provided To Webinar Audience
Ambassador Khan also updated the audience on the Covid-19 circumstance in Pakistan. He elucidated the measures being taken by the Government to manage the pandemic. He said that the Government\’s employment of smart lockdowns and the nationwide call for strict SOPs has brought about a general decrease in the number of cases and death rates in Pakistan.
