Diplomacy has a body language of its own, which is seen through two distinct lenses: instant optics that capture the mood of the day, and an enduring aspect debated in the days and weeks that follow. The latter is more profound because it offers a deeper understanding of the strategic alignment behind the clasping of hands or walking in lockstep during high-stakes global events watched closely by the world through multiple prisms. This paradox represents the new dynamic of the emerging world order.

Of all the places in the country, Kashmir was watching this more closely than other states and Union Territories, where the focus was primarily on trade, export, and import. Jammu and Kashmir, apart from this focus, was particularly attuned to the course of India-China talks and the direction they would take. Kashmir views these relations in several contexts—including border defense. Although Ladakh has been geographically and politically separated from it, the psychological and geopolitical impact remains. Many Kashmiri students are studying in China. People were equally focused on how Iran made its presence felt at the summit and the kind of reception it received. Iran stood out, of course, because of the ongoing conflicts in which it is engaged with America, Israel, and the Gulf states.

Jhelum continues to define Kashmir’s understanding of the world view. The BRICS summit in their own country was closer to their heart and it kept on watching from its tributaries Lidder in Pahalgam to the point it falls into Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in Uri.Third, people wondered whether the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025, would figure in the declaration and in what form.........

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