Every year on 5 January, Pakistan marks what it calls “Right to Self-Determination Day” for Jammu and Kashmir. On this day, Pakistan repeats its claim that India is illegally controlling the region and denying its people their rights. Official statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan typically refer to United Nations resolutions passed in 1948 and 1949, accusing India of violating international law. 

Pakistan’s statement went on to say that international law recognises the right to self-determination as a cornerstone principle enshrined in the UN Charter.” It added that the people of IIOJK have however been denied this right by India for over seven decades, adding that the “illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir by India stands as a stark tragedy of our times, as the people of IIOJK continue to endure systematic repression, widespread human rights violations, and denial of their fundamental rights and dignity.”

These claims have been repeated for many years. They have not changed. But the history of the Kashmir issue is more complicated than Pakistan’s statements suggest.

The United Nations became involved in Kashmir in 1948 after armed tribal fighters backed by Pakistan entered the region following Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India. The UN Security Council resolutions passed at the time were meant to stop the fighting. Any mention of a plebiscite was linked to specific conditions. The first condition was that Pakistan withdraw all........

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