Kashmir Dispute a Nuclear Flashpoint in South Asia: Diaspora Leader Zafar Ahmed Qureshi

Zafar Ahmed Qureshi, Chairman of Kashmir Campaign Global and a prominent Kashmiri diaspora figure, has warned that the unresolved Kashmir dispute remains the biggest threat to peace in South Asia, with the potential to trigger a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Sad-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, Zafar Ahmed Qureshi highlighted the urgency of resolving the Kashmir conflict, which he termed the core issue fuelling hostility between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

He cautioned that India’s Hindutva-driven regime continues to push the region toward catastrophe, citing the false flag operation in Pahalgam where 26 tourists were killed to justify military escalation. Qureshi condemned the May 6–7 cross-border aggression, during which Indian forces targeted mosques and civilian areas in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the martyrdom of 31 civilians, including women and children.

Responding to Indian provocation, Qureshi said, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched Operation Bunyad-e-Marsus, downing six Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets, and destroyed over 26 Indian military installations, thereby rebalancing regional deterrence.

“This firm response shattered India’s four-pronged offensive plan and proved that Pakistan will not tolerate aggression,” he stated.

Zafar Qureshi revealed that India, faced with international embarrassment, was forced to seek US mediation, acknowledging that it could not dictate terms unilaterally. He asserted that the global community and human rights groups are increasingly recognizing the volatile nature of the Kashmir dispute and the urgent need for its resolution.

“The Kashmir issue is not just a bilateral dispute but an unfinished agenda of partition. Without a strong and stable Pakistan, peace in the region will remain elusive,” he added.

He stressed that a single spark could ignite a full-scale nuclear war, and reiterated that the only way forward is a just, peaceful resolution based on United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.