AJK legal expert’s UN role highlights Kashmiris’ bond with Pakistan

Pakistan’s Raja Ahsan Shamim joins official delegation at UN rights session in Geneva

MUZAFFARABAD:

The participation of an Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) legal expert in Pakistan’s official delegation at a United Nations session in Geneva has once again highlighted the pride Kashmiris take in representing Pakistan at international forums.

Raja Ahsan Shamim’s presence on the global stage reflects the enduring bond between Pakistan and Kashmiris, underscoring that no isolated voices or political differences can distance the people of AJK from Pakistan. For Kashmiris, Pakistan and Kashmir remain bound by shared identity, aspirations and an inseparable relationship.

Senior Legal Adviser to the Government of Pakistan under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Raja Ahsan Shamim, participated in a session of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva as a senior member of Pakistan’s official delegation.

The committee reviewed Pakistan’s second periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Pakistani delegation was led by Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, with Shamim serving as a senior legal adviser.

During the proceedings, Shamim responded to questions raised by committee members and presented Pakistan’s position on a range of legal and human rights issues.

His participation at the international forum reflects his professional achievements and the contribution of Kashmiris to representing Pakistan on important global platforms.

Shamim obtained both his law degrees from the United Kingdom, including an LLM in International Law and International Relations from the prestigious University of Bristol.

He is the son of the late Raja Shamim Akhtar, a retired senior superintendent of police in AJK and hails from Bhimber district. He also belongs to the family of the late former AJK president Raja Muhammad Zulqarnain Khan and Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of AJK.

Residents of Bhimber, relatives, friends and well-wishers have congratulated Shamim on his achievement, describing it as an honour not only for his family but also for the entire region.

They said his representation of Pakistan at the United Nations demonstrated that the people of AJK take immense pride in their association with Pakistan and their contribution to its international standing.

They added that the participation of Kashmiris in Pakistan’s official delegations at international forums was a reflection of their shared history, identity and aspirations.

They maintained that a few voices attempting to create distance between the people of AJK and Pakistan could not undermine the longstanding relationship between the two. Kashmiris and Pakistanis, they said, remain united by common bonds and a shared vision.