Pakistan–India Ceasefire: Now Focus on the Core Issue—Justice and Self-Determination for Kashmir
May 10, 2025FORCE OPEN THE RAFAH CROSSING IMMEDIATELY!
May 12, 2025Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations) – MAPIM
Space U8 , Eco Mall , Bukit Jelutong , Shah Alam , Selangor Malaysia
azmiabdulhamid58@gmail.com
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MAPIM Comprehensive Position Paper: Pakistan-India Ceasefire and the Gaza Crisis – A Unified Struggle for Justice and Self-Determination
I. Executive Summary
The Pakistan–India ceasefire announcement in 2025 has generated cautious optimism in South Asia and beyond. However, while this development marks a temporary halt in direct military confrontation between two nuclear powers, it does not resolve the fundamental conflict—the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination. Simultaneously, the brutal Israeli assault on Gaza continues unabated, with catastrophic consequences for the civilian population.
This paper argues for a principled and unified response to both crises. It calls upon global institutions, Muslim countries, civil society, and political actors to move beyond passive ceasefires toward a proactive, justice-centered policy agenda. The twin issues of Kashmir and Gaza are not isolated geopolitical flashpoints but are interconnected struggles against occupation, dispossession, and apartheid.
II. Background and Context
A. Pakistan–India Ceasefire
In early 2025, Pakistan and India agreed to reinforce the 2003 ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC). While welcomed, this move does not address the decades-long denial of Kashmiri rights. Since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, Indian-occupied Kashmir has seen intensified militarization, demographic engineering, and systemic human rights violations.
B. Gaza Under Siege
As of May 2025, the Israeli military campaign in Gaza has led to the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians, the majority being civilians, including thousands of children. The international community’s inaction reflects a double standard that delegitimizes human rights discourse.
III. Interconnected Struggles
Both Kashmir and Gaza represent occupied territories under regimes accused of systemic racism, apartheid, and settler-colonialism. Key parallels include:
●Militarized occupation with restricted movement and constant surveillance.
●Demographic manipulation and displacement.
●Criminalization of resistance and attacks on civil society.
Use of mass incarceration and torture .
The global community must therefore resist viewing the Pakistan–India ceasefire in isolation. It must contextualize it within a broader struggle against impunity and for self-determination.
IV. International Law and Double Standards
- Kashmir :
●UN Security Council Resolutions (e.g., 47) affirm Kashmiris’ right to self-determination via a plebiscite.
●India’s actions since 2019 are in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
- Palestine :
Numerous UNGA and UNSC resolutions affirm the right of return and condemn settlements.
The ICC is investigating Israeli war crimes, yet no significant international enforcement exists.
In contrast, Ukraine has received rapid international support, sanctions against Russia, and a cohesive NATO response—revealing blatant hypocrisy in international affairs.
V. The Role of Global Powers and Muslim Nations
The US and EU continue to arm and support Israel, and have normalized relations with India despite its fascist Hindutva policies.
The Muslim world, including OIC members, must be held accountable for their silence and lack of unified diplomatic pressure.
VI. Recommendations for Policy Action
A. For Governments and Intergovernmental Bodies:
- United Nations:
Appoint special envoys for both Kashmir and Gaza.
Enforce UN resolutions on plebiscite and statehood.
- OIC:
●Convene an emergency summit.
●Launch a fact-finding mission and humanitarian intervention.
- Global South Alliances:
●End arms deals with Israel and India.
●Promote diplomatic coalitions for justice.
B. For Civil Society and Movements:
- BDS Campaign:
●Expand boycott and divestment targeting complicit companies.
- Legal Advocacy:
●File cases in the ICC and ICJ.
●Support political prisoners and human rights defenders.
- Global Mobilization:
●Organize a Global Day of Action for Kashmir and Gaza.
●Build cross-regional anti-colonial coalitions.
VII. Final Reflections: Toward a Moral Foreign Policy
This position paper urges a shift from transactional diplomacy to justice-centered internationalism. The ceasefire between Pakistan and India should be a launchpad for renewed efforts toward resolving the Kashmir conflict in line with the aspirations of its people.
Likewise, the massacre in Gaza must end—not through token gestures, but through structural change, decolonization, and accountability.
We call on all governments, institutions, and movements of conscience to align their policies with the fundamental principles of human rights, justice, and dignity.
Issued by:
Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President MAPIM
Date: 11th May 2025
