ISLAMABAD: A politically reshaped South Asia is emerging where India will no longer be a dominant player, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said on Tuesday, attributing the shift to recent military and diplomatic setbacks New Delhi has suffered.

Speaking at a seminar hosted by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) to mark the sixth anniversary of India’s revocation of Article 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019, Mushahid said, “India has suffered the biggest setback from China, diplomatically and militarily, and is unable to assert itself.”

He added that during the four-day war in May 2025, “Pakistan too gave India a bloody nose… and has decimated India’s so-called supremacy in the region.”

The event, titled“August 5 and Beyond: Violations of International Law and Human Rights in IIOJK”, brought together senior diplomats, former officials, and defense experts to reflect on the evolving dynamics in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the region at large.

Mushahid noted that US President Donald Trump’s renewed offer to mediate on Kashmir has challenged India’s long-standing claim that the issue is purely bilateral. “Trump’s initiative should be seized to make some meaningful strides,” he said. He also pointed to China’s growing involvement with Kashmir dispute, citing Beijing’s response to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, in which China termed India’s occupation of Himachal Pradesh as illegal.

Calling for an end to “defeatism,” Mushahid urged Pakistan to “work robustly on lawfare to highlight the Kashmir issue.”

Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) president and diplomat Ambassador Masood Khan echoed similar concerns, questioning India’s claims of development in Kashmir since 2019. “If India has given development and prosperity since 2019, then what it is afraid of and why Kashmiris are still not being allowed to visit Mazar-i-Shuhada?” he asked. He praised the resilience of Kashmiris and Pakistan’s consistent stance on the issue, saying that no amount of maneuvering “can dishearten them from their cause and Pakistan.”

Former foreign minister and foreign secretary Ambassador Inamul Haq reaffirmed the legal grounding of the Kashmir dispute. “UN resolutions are valid until implemented or rescinded by the UN itself, and Pakistan must stand firm behind them,” he said. Warning against India’s efforts to bifurcate the region, he urged vigilance.

In response to a question, Inam clarified that “Pakistan’s position is to support Kashmiris diplomatically and not militarily, and has no intention of going to war with India.”

IPRI President Lt Gen (retd) Majid Ehsan described India’s revocation of Article 370 and 35A as a blatant violation of both the Indian Constitution and UN resolutions. He highlighted what he called “gerrymandering of realities” since August 5, 2019 - particularly in the realm of land rights, domicile laws, and demographic shifts - and called for a proactive Kashmir policy to help realize the struggle for self-determination.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2025