Kashmiri-American communities from the New York and Washington metropolitan areas held a large demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters, protesting against the Indian foreign minister’s address to the UN General Assembly and calling on the world body to uphold its resolutions on the Kashmir dispute.

Organized by the World Kashmir Awareness Forum and Kashmiri-American communities, the protest at UN Plaza brought together community leaders, women, children and elderly participants from Kashmiri and Pakistani communities.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans in support of Kashmiri rights, the protesters gathered under the theme “A Call to the United Nations”, urging the international organization to address what they described as its longstanding commitments to the people of Kashmir.

In a joint statement, organizers criticized the decision to allow the Indian delegation to address the General Assembly, saying it overlooked allegations of human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir and the suffering of civilians.

The protesters called on the UN to uphold what they described as the Kashmiri people’s fundamental and legal right to self-determination, take international notice of alleged human rights violations, and ensure the implementation of UN resolutions concerning Kashmir.

The organizers said the Kashmir dispute should be resolved through a peaceful process that takes into account the rights and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

At the end of the demonstration, the protesters submitted a memorandum to UN officials calling for international diplomatic engagement towards what they described as a peaceful and just resolution of the longstanding dispute.