Islamabad Accord and the Kashmir Question: Mushaal Mullick urges diplomatic leverage on a nuclear flashpoint

Pakistan’s growing role in facilitating dialogue between the United States and Iran has demonstrated Islamabad’s diplomatic relevance, but Mushaal Hussein Mullick says that momentum must now be used to address Kashmir.

In a Hum News Digital Youtube exclusive interview, she said: “The Islamabad Process is more than just a ceasefire mechanism. It is proof of Pakistan’s diplomatic centrality at a time when the world urgently needs credible mediators who can deliver long-term solutions, not cosmetic measures.”

She praised Pakistan’s leadership for helping engage both Washington and Tehran.

“Our officials have worked tirelessly. They deserve appreciation, especially our Field Marshal, his team and the Foreign Office, for bringing Tehran and Washington together after many decades,” she said.

‘Turn Global Relevance into Leverage on Kashmir’

Mullick said Pakistan should now convert its diplomatic success into structured political leverage on Kashmir.

“We must institutionalise a forum through which we can use this relevance to create a Kashmir international diplomatic track,” she said.

She added: “We have waited more than seven decades for UN resolutions to be implemented while people continue to suffer. Kashmir must now be integrated into the wider global peace architecture, just as Palestine has remained central to international diplomacy.”

She urged Pakistan to intensify engagement with Washington, European capitals, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations.

“We should move beyond ceremonial talking points and pursue coordinated legal and humanitarian efforts on Kashmir,” she said.

Rejecting criticism that mediation distracts from national interests, she said: “Effective mediation strengthens a nation’s standing. Pakistan is not merely reacting to crises — it is shaping outcomes.”

‘Release of Leadership Essential for Peace’

Mullick also focused on the case of jailed Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik and said his release was vital for any meaningful peace process.

“It is so vital that Yasin Malik, the Kashmiri top leadership and political prisoners are released, because that is central to justice and long-term peace in the region,” she said.

She criticised the legal proceedings against him, saying: “He is serving life sentences in fabricated cases where he was denied due legal rights.”

Mullick warned that silencing political voices would create dangerous consequences.

“If peaceful voices are pushed against the wall, hanged, poisoned in jail or tortured, then people will lose faith in politics and move towards militancy,” she said.

She said Kashmir remains one of the world’s most dangerous nuclear flashpoints.

“If even a small incident can lead towards full-fledged war between India and Pakistan, then the world must realise this issue cannot be ignored,” she said.

Calling on global powers to act, she added: “If Pakistan is expected to help stabilise the fragile world order, then the United Nations and major powers must also responsibly address Kashmir.”

Mullick concluded by saying Pakistan’s mediation role should become a pathway towards lasting settlements.

“This is not a distraction. It is an opportunity. We must connect temporary ceasefires with long-term political solutions and Kashmir must be part of that process,” she said.