India's February 22 Resolution on Kashmir : February 22 Resolution: India's Steadfast Dedication to National Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity

New Delhi, Feb 21 (NationPress) The integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the national framework has been characterized by an unwavering resolve and robust commitment from the local populace, despite persistent efforts by antagonistic forces to undermine its socio-political stability. In the late 1980s, Pakistan strategically redirected its militant proxies to instigate chaos in Kashmir, seeking to enhance its narrative of challenging the region's political status on the global stage.

As Pakistan escalated cross-border terrorism amid a wave of misinformation to influence international perceptions, the Indian Parliament responded by enacting a resolution on February 22, 1994. This resolution clearly reaffirmed Jammu and Kashmir's inalienable status as a crucial part of the Union of India, asserting to the global community that its sovereignty over the region—including areas occupied by Pakistan and China—was, is, and will remain inviolable.

This position effectively countered Islamabad's depiction of Jammu and Kashmir as an 'unfinished agenda of partition' following the cessation of British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent, maintaining that the sole concern regarding Kashmir is to end the illegal occupation of Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) and to fully incorporate it into India. The resolution reiterated India's commitment to utilizing all possible measures to achieve this goal.

The resolution explicitly condemned Pakistan for its ongoing and systematic 'support and encouragement' of insurgent and terrorist activities within Jammu and Kashmir. It clarified Pakistan's role in perpetuating cross-border insurgency through the 'imparting of training to terrorists', provision of logistical support, which includes weapons and financial resources, as well as direct assistance facilitating their infiltration into the region.

By portraying Pakistan's actions as part of a calculated strategy aimed at creating 'disorder, disharmony, and subversion' within the area, the Indian Parliament further revealed Islamabad’s unrelenting 'campaign of calumny and falsehood' against New Delhi, labeling such behavior as both reprehensible and entirely unacceptable. Furthermore, the resolution highlighted the Pakistani state’s serious violations of universally recognized principles governing inter-state relations, in addition to its continuous non-compliance with bilateral frameworks, most notably the Simla Agreement (1972), which were specifically established to encourage the resolution of unresolved bilateral disputes through diplomatic means.

The resolution reaffirmed India's unwavering stance regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir, explicitly stating that the region 'has been, is, and shall be an integral part of India.' Importantly, it proclaimed that 'any attempts to separate it from the rest of the country will be resisted by all necessary means,' asserting India's 'will and capacity to firmly counter all designs against its unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,' while cautioning Islamabad that its ongoing interference in New Delhi's internal matters would elicit a strong reaction.

A critical and operative element of the resolution is India's unambiguous assertion of sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir, as evidenced by its categorical demand for Pakistan to immediately 'vacate' all territories it unlawfully occupied through acts of aggression in 1947-48.

This occupation was executed by deploying tribal raiders and regular army units, constituting a blatant violation of the Standstill Agreement between Maharaja Hari Singh and the State of Pakistan, as well as the subsequent Instrument of Accession signed on October 26, 1947, which formally integrated Jammu and Kashmir into the Union of India.

It is noteworthy that Pakistan, through its aggressive actions, seized over 90,000 square kilometers of the former princely state, including Gilgit-Baltistan, prior to international diplomatic intervention by the United Nations that imposed a ceasefire, consequently limiting India's military efforts to reclaim these territories and resulting in the division of both the region and its populace.

Further complicating this act of territorial annexation was Pakistan's transfer of the strategically important Shaksgam Valley, a region within Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), to China under the Sino-Pakistan Border Agreement of 1963. New Delhi has firmly rejected this action as unlawful and illegitimate, asserting India's rightful claim to the territory.

Of particular concern is the ongoing, systematic marginalization and subjugation of the residents of POJK, who continue to face institutionalized discrimination and authoritarian governance under the oppressive control of the Pakistan Army.

As a result, the Indian Parliament has categorically condemned Islamabad's sustained and egregious denial of fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms to the people of POJK, characterizing it as a blatant violation of established international norms governing the treatment of populations under contested and occupied regimes.

The February 22 resolution symbolizes India's unyielding determination to reclaim Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) from perceived illegal occupation, aiming to foster regional stability by eliminating Islamabad-sponsored terrorism across South Asia.

As India's global influence grows, propelled by economic strength and assertive policies, the resolution's objective—complete integration of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir via POJK's recovery—seems increasingly attainable. The critical question has shifted from 'how' to 'when' a policy operationalizing the reclamation of this integral territory will be implemented. Government ministers have also expressed confidence in this regard.