Muzaffarabad: Former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and senior diplomat Sardar Masood Khan has stressed that the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel must not divert global attention from the long-standing and volatile Kashmir dispute.

Sardar Masood Khan in interviews with various electronic media outlets, warned that the international community cannot afford to ignore the fact that the Kashmir dispute lies between two nuclear-armed neighbors- Pakistan and India – who have already fought multiple wars.

He said the recent military tensions between Pakistan and India once again underscore the urgent need for a just and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir conflict. He cautioned that continued international apathy, as witnessed in the past, could result in another war, a scenario that would have catastrophic consequences not only for South Asia but for global peace and security.

He urged the international community to ensure that Kashmir remains a priority on the global agenda, and that pressure is increased on India to engage in meaningful and result-oriented dialogue with Pakistan.

Sardar Masood stated that the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir are pursuing their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with international law and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

He criticized the Indian government for consistently labelling this indigenous and lawful struggle as terrorism to mislead global public opinion. He also referred to recent remarks by the US President advocating for a resolution to the Kashmir issue, terming it a positive development and urging Pakistan to leverage this momentum to mount diplomatic pressure on India through the United States.

Responding to a question regarding the Indus Waters Treaty, Sardar Masood Khan asserted that India’s unilateral suspension of the agreement is both illegal and contrary to the spirit of the treaty itself. He explained that there are multiple legal and diplomatic mechanisms available to address this issue — including the Permanent Indus Commission, mediation through the World Bank, and the United Nations Security Council.

He warned: “If India attempts to divert the flow of rivers, construct illegal dams, or block Pakistan’s water, it will gravely endanger regional peace and stability.

He added that India’s continuous hostile rhetoric, anti-Pakistan propaganda, and the use of derogatory language by senior officials, including the Indian External Affairs Minister, are exacerbating mistrust between the two countries and obstructing diplomatic engagement.

Rejecting recent remarks made by Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in Brussels as unacceptable to Pakistan, Sardar Masood Khan said if and when bilateral talks resume, the agenda must include not only the Kashmir dispute but also all aspects of terrorism, including credible evidence of India’s involvement in destabilizing activities within Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Gilgit-Baltistan, and its targeting of foreign nationals on Pakistani soil.