The conflicts in Palestine and Kashmir stand out as two of the world’s most enduring and intricate challenges. These conflicts, which have ideological and geographical roots, have proven difficult to resolve for many years. Unrealized promises of self-determination by the United Nations (UN) in 1947–1988 are a common thread connecting the struggles of the Palestinian and Kashmiri people, making them strikingly similar. The Middle East (ME) and South Asia are experiencing extreme instability as a result of the international community’s inability to enforce decisions pertaining to these regions. This has led to multiple military conflicts with catastrophic outcomes.
Both the Palestinian and Kashmiri people were promised self-determination by the UN following World War II. But the Palestinians still lack a state, and Kashmiris are not allowed to participate in the UN-called referendum. This is happening almost 75 years later. Recurrent military conflicts have resulted from this failure, which has directly contributed to the instability in the Middle East and South Asia. In the last 70 years, there have been at least six significant military conflicts in the Middle East. In IIOJK, two significant wars between India and Pakistan have been directly caused by the UN’s failure to grant the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination. Millions of people have been injured and hundreds of thousands of people have died in these conflicts. The toll on civilian infrastructure and people’s lives is incalculable.
Numerous consequences have resulted from the international community’s failure to address the right of the Palestinian and Kashmiri peoples to self-determination. A few of the numerous consequences include eco-strangulation, collective punishment, mental and psychological suffering, human rights violations with genocidal tendencies, illegal military occupations, and impunity for military forces. With millions of people injured and hundreds of thousands of civilian lives lost, the toll on infrastructure and civilian lives in both regions has been devastating.
It is understandable that the Palestinians and Kashmiris would vehemently oppose their unlawful occupations in light of these difficulties. Their right to resist foreign oppressors who violate human rights, change demographic patterns, or endanger peace and security is protected by international law.
Israel and India are fervently committed to maintaining their violent occupations of Palestine and Kashmir. There are clear similarities between Israel’s occupation strategy and that of India. One of Israel’s main customers for arms exports, India has invested billions in Israeli weapons, many of which are used in the country’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Moreover, Israeli training for “anti-terror” operations has been imparted to Indian police forces, replicating Israeli practices against the Palestinians.
India’s latest legislative measures are similar to Israel’s long-standing discriminatory laws in Palestine, especially after Articles 370 and 35A were revoked. Similar to Israel’s policies, Indian citizens are allowed to live permanently in IIOJK and purchase land there, which has caused widespread protests among Kashmiris who are afraid of the region’s demographic shifting toward a Muslim majority.
The political and state representatives of India have publicly discussed implementing an Israeli-style solution for Kashmir, which is a concerning development. India’s actions raise concerns about the future of the Kashmiri people and the possible alteration of the region’s demographics, echoing Israel’s intentions to annex the West Bank in 2020.
Pakistan has been a consistent advocate for the right to self-determination for both Kashmir and Palestine, equating their struggles. Pakistan demands that Israel completely withdraw from the occupied Arab territories and that Indian occupation forces leave the Indian Indian Ocean region, in accordance with resolutions passed by the UN Security Council.
Furthermore, Pakistan firmly believes that the Palestinian people should be granted their inalienable rights, placing a strong emphasis on their right to self-determination and sovereignty in order to establish an autonomous state of Palestine based on its pre-1967 borders, with its capital city of Al-Quds al-Sharif.
The international community’s persistent inability to address matters of self-determination is exemplified by the ongoing conflicts in Palestine and Kashmir. The remarkable similarities between the two conflicts highlight the necessity of coordinated international efforts to achieve a fair and long-lasting settlement. The world is challenged to address the underlying causes of these indigenous freedom movements and work toward a future of peace, justice, and self-determination for all oppressed peoples as Pakistan continues to speak out against human rights violations in Palestine and IIOJK.
