Revocation of Kashmir’s special status intensified demand for ‘Azadi’, says Victoria Schofield

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2026) A high level discussion was held in Islamabad, where British historian Victoria Schofield, speaking at a policy dialogue titled “Jammu and Kashmir Dispute: Navigating Pathways to Peace” organised by the Institute of Regional Studies in collaboration with the Youth Forum for Kashmir, said that the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on 5 August 2019 had intensified political alienation and strengthened demands for “Azadi”.

Participants, including diplomats, lawmakers and Kashmiri representatives, discussed pathways to peace, regional stability, and the risks of escalation in a nuclearised South Asia through dialogue based approaches and inclusive political engagement.

Ms Schofield argued that increased militarisation and communication restrictions in the region had deepened public discontent, stressing that any durable resolution must be grounded in inclusive political participation and genuine representation of the Kashmiri people.

She said that “the future is not in the rigidity of nation states, but the fluidity of cross cultural and regional communication,” adding that dialogue must replace hostility if meaningful progress is to be achieved on Jammu and Kashmir.

Highlighting wider geopolitical dimensions, she noted the importance of the China factor, including Aksai Chin and the legacy of the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, warning that excluding regional stakeholders would weaken prospects for a comprehensive settlement.

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Tracing the historical evolution of the dispute from the 1948–49 conflict to the post Simla Agreement Line of Control framework, she said that while territorial realities have remained largely unchanged, the strategic environment has shifted due to nuclearisation, technological change, and geopolitical competition, increasing risks of miscalculation in a highly sensitive region.

Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of the Institute of Regional Studies, acknowledged the fragility of the ceasefire between Pakistan and India and reiterated Pakistan’s position on Kashmir based on justice and self-determination.

Senator Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur warned that Pakistan and India, as nuclear-armed neighbours, could not afford prolonged hostility and called for peaceful coexistence to avoid catastrophic consequences for South Asia.

Lt Gen Asif Yasin Malik described Kashmir as the core issue driving regional tensions, arguing that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without addressing the dispute.

Speakers at the event also emphasised the growing role of information warfare and strategic communication in shaping global narratives on Kashmir, calling for stronger intellectual and diplomatic engagement to ensure that Kashmiri voices remain central to the discourse.