In 1947, as the Radcliffe line was drawn, the state of Jammu and Kashmir became a casualty of partition with parts of it coming under Pakistan control and parts under Indian control. As it became a disputed territory, the commitment made by the two controlling countries to the United Nations to hold plebiscite to ascertain the views of all inhabitants remain unfulfilled. Subsequently, India and Pakistan have fought three wars and engaged in many border skirmishes, creating high tensions between the two countries.
The initial plebiscite should have posed the question of whether Jammu Kashmir would become part of India or Pakistan, but as the years have gone by and new generations have grown up, there has been increasing agitation from the Kashmiri people for a united Kashmir, free of both countries.
This is a question of great importance for many British citizens, as 70% of the Pakistani diaspora community in the UK hails from Kashmir.
Join our panel of experts, Sardar Masood Khan, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Professor Dibyesh Anand, Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Westminster and British Kashmiri activist, Sasha Bhat; chaired by Kashmiri writer, academic and economist, Nitasha Kaul, this event will analyse the changing narrative inside and surrounding Kashmir.