Sardar Masood Khan urges Cadets to Build a Self-Reliant, Forward-Looking AJK, Pakistan

Palabdari, Oct 27: In a thought-provoking address at Cadet College Palandri, Sardar Masood Khan, former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the United Nations, United States, and China, underscored the urgent need to rebuild faith in international institutions and create a new global ethic rooted in justice, equality, and mutual respect. Referring to ongoing crises in Gaza and Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he lamented the failure of the United Nations and major powers to uphold their own founding principles. “The international system cannot survive if it remains indifferent to genocide, occupation, and oppression,” he said. Ambassador Khan highlighted that Pakistan’s voice on global peace, humanitarian law, and regional stability must be sustained through intellectual and diplomatic renewal at home. “Our youth must become articulate defenders of international law and human dignity,” he urged, calling for a generation that links moral conviction with strategic thinking. Reflecting on Pakistan’s diplomatic resurgence, he noted that the country is now “respected, received, and welcomed in global capitals once again.” He concluded by urging youth to see themselves as architects of a fairer international order.
Sardar Masood Khan began by thanking Brigadier Paracha for his gracious invitation and for hosting a diverse academic gathering representing the next generation of Pakistan’s leadership. “This college is producing not only disciplined cadets but visionary citizens. The order, character, and curiosity I see here reflect the best of Azad Kashmir’s promise,” he said.
Addressing the theme of his lecture, “The Modern United Nations and the Changing Global Order,” Ambassador Khan drew on his experience as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and New York. He explained the origins of the UN after the Second World War, its ideals of peace, decolonization, and development, and its institutional structure led by the Security Council and General Assembly. However, he noted that the institution had drifted away from its founding principles. “The UN was created to prevent war and genocide, but today it stands paralysed—powerless to stop the massacre in Gaza or the occupation in Kashmir. The imbalance in the international order persists because power still lies with a few, not with the just,” he said.
He urged students to question this inequity and think critically about their role in reforming the system. “You are no longer colonial subjects—but mentally, we remain dependent on the world order created by those who once ruled us. You must unlearn this dependency. Develop your own ecosystem, your own model of governance, your own intellectual sovereignty,” he emphasized.
Turning to Kashmir, Ambassador Khan recounted the historical trajectory of the region’s unfinished political struggle. He reminded the students that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had decided their destiny on July 19, 1947, when they passed the Qarar-e-Inqilab-e-Pakistan resolution in favour of accession to Pakistan. “This liberation movement was not imposed from outside—it was led by the brave people of Mirpur, Kotli, Poonch, and Muzaffarabad who fought with faith and sacrifice,” he said. He recalled the massacre of over 250,000 Muslims in Jammu in October–November 1947, calling it “the first holocaust after the Second World War,” and warned that India’s current demographic engineering in IIOJK mirrors that tragedy.
Ambassador Khan also highlighted the tremendous progress made by the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. “In 1947, we had one dirt road and one intermediate college. Today, we have seven universities, modern infrastructure, and one of the most educated, prosperous, and enterprising communities in Pakistan. From the armed forces to the civil services, from media to business, Kashmiris are contributing to national development,” he said. He cited examples of students from AJK excelling in global universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Georgetown, and Tennessee, emphasizing that “our youth can compete with the best in the world when given opportunity.”
Encouraging the cadets to take ownership of Pakistan’s future, Ambassador Khan said, “This is your country now. Sixty four percent of the population of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir is under 30. The future belongs to you. You must build a Pakistan defined by innovation, discipline, and moral clarity.” He urged a shift to economic empowerment. “We are strong militarily; now we must become strong economically. The Muslim world must invest in innovation and trade” he added.
Responding to questions from students about the decline of the international order, the Kashmir dispute, and Pakistan’s foreign policy, Ambassador Khan underscored the importance of self-reliance. “No power—neither the United States nor China—will write our destiny. Pakistan must stand on its own feet, guided by faith, economic strength, and national unity,” he said.
On Kashmir’s current status, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s diplomatic commitment to the cause. “After India’s illegal revocation of Articles 370 and 35A, Pakistan raised the issue thrice in the UN Security Council and continues to press for implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions on Jamuu and Kashmir. Despite Indian propaganda, Pakistan and the people of Jamuu and Kashmir remain the only party adhering to international law and the right to self-determination,” he noted.
Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Masood Khan praised the cadets and faculty of Cadet College Palandri, commending their discipline and patriotism. “You represent the vanguard of a confident, forward-looking Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. Learn your history, strengthen your faith, master science and technology, and lead with character. The future will belong to nations whose youth think boldly and act with purpose. Let the youth of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir be that force,” he said.