
ISSI and KIIR collaborate to strengthen advocacy on the Kashmir dispute
To increase global awareness of the Jammu and Kashmir conflict and its fair and sustainable resolution, the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), expanding its reach to national think tanks. The Institute’s structure and multifaceted functions were explained to the ISSI team, led by Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General ISSI, by Mr. Altaf Hussain Wani, Chairman, KIIR, in his welcome comments. In addition to producing research articles and publications during the last three decades, KIIR has continued to work with the UNOHRC, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Additionally, the Institute has close ties with national and international think tanks, international media outlets, UN processes, and international NGOs. A major source of research-based publications for the appropriate government departments and think tanks is acknowledged to be KIIR.
Mr. Wani emphasized that KIIR’s main goal is to promote the use of strategic conversations to resolve conflicts. In Geneva, the Institute actively promotes global human rights advocacy through outreach and networking initiatives. Furthermore, KIIR has set up a comprehensive outreach and internship program aimed at empowering the upcoming generation of Kashmiri leaders across several fields.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood praised the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between ISSI and KIIR and underlined the value of institutional cooperation. Although the two institutions have previously collaborated closely, he pointed out that more work has to be done to advance and strengthen their partnership. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood emphasized the vital significance of recording human rights abuses in the occupied region, evaluating changes in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on an ongoing basis, and bolstering advocacy efforts with reason and proof.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood emphasized that Pakistan’s foreign policy continues to place a high premium on a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir conflict. In order to raise awareness of this national topic, particularly among NextGen, he recommended combining resources and involving universities and civil society organizations. It is crucial to communicate that “this issue is not about territory,” he emphasized. The unalienable right to self-determination is at the heart of it. The Kashmiris’ argument has strong and indisputable historical, moral, and legal underpinnings.
According to Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura, they were dedicated to solving the various problems of the populace. He stated that the MOU will produce concrete results to advance biogas and biofertilizers. UAF is implementing every feasible strategy for clean and green technologies. He added that the institution has a solar system and that it is home to the Punjab Bioenergy Institute (PBI), a step toward the growth of biogas. He claimed that every inch of the environment that is being destroyed poses a major threat to the ecology and called green technology essential in this period of severe environmental degradation.
In his speech on the occasion, DG ISSI Ambassador Sohail Mahmood paid heartfelt thanks to the Pakistani military and the martyrs who gave their lives in defense of their nation. According to him, Pakistan has always had difficult security issues because of its location. It was an area where maintaining peace and security required ongoing attention to detail and preparedness. He continued by saying that Pakistan had successfully negotiated choppy seas throughout the previous 77 years, adjusting to changing dangers and difficulties. He emphasized that Pakistan’s path in strategic defense had been one of tenacity, ingenuity, and resolve. Furthermore, despite all the obstacles, the nation’s morale never wavered.
The statement made by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
“There is no power on earth that can undo Pakistan,”
was firmly believed by the country. Pakistan has developed a credible deterrence capability over the years, guaranteeing that its existence won’t be threatened. Our defense strategy changed to adapt to the shifting dynamics of regional and international security, from bolstering our conventional forces to creating a strong nuclear deterrent. To keep Pakistan powerful, safe, rich, and on course to fulfill Quaid’s vision, he emphasized the significance of reaffirming the pledge. He emphasized in his closing remarks that we will continue to honor the sacrifices made by our martyrs, build on the legacy of our founding fathers, and leave a better Pakistan for future generations, provided we remain united, disciplined, and faith-driven.
In order to increase advocacy efforts, ISSI and KIIR intend to proactively coordinate and arrange cooperative activities as part of their upcoming projects.