Pakistan calls on OIC to resolve Kashmir issue

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday called upon the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take immediate efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue as people belonging to the region are looking upon the muslim nations to support their cause for independence, a transcript released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed on Monday. 

“The OIC must urge India to: rescind its unilateral and illegal actions since 5 August 2019; implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions to hold a UN-supervised plebiscite in Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir; halt its blatant human rights violations and provide unhindered access to OIC, IPHRC, UN, human rights organizations and international media to investigate and report on the situation in the occupied territory,” said the foreign minister in a virtual meeting of the OIC’s Contact Group. 

Qureshi, while addressing the participants said “the current Indian leadership remains bent upon perpetuating India’s illegal occupation of Jammu & Kashmir. The ‘Hindutva’ agenda of the RSS-BJP combined is deliberately targeting defenceless Kashmiris with unspeakable violence to break their will.” 

He called upon the members to support Kashmiris in their struggle for independence in line with the multiple UN resolutions. 

He said the situation has worsened since the last meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Sept 25, 2019. 

“Kashmiri people have endured untold suffering from continuous lockdown, military siege, communications blockade, and unprecedented restrictions. These measures were imposed following India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019,” he said.

He also informed the members that India has violated ceasefire for more than 1,400 times since January despite Pakistan’s calls for restraint. He blamed India for its war mongering and bullying attitude. 

Moreover, OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen said: “I call on the international community to strengthen its efforts to assist the people of Kashmir to decisively practice their legitimate rights denied for decades.”

Reaffirming OIC’s support to the Kashmiri people, he called upon India to respect human rights, abstain from changing the region’s demographics and abide by the UN Resolutions on Kashmir.

In March this year, the Contact Group had sent its special envoy to Kashmir to ascertain the security and human rights situation in the region. 

Earlier in the day, Qureshi also called on his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal Al Saud and apprised him of the situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir. 

The statement issued by Pakistan’s foreign ministry said that Qureshi shared “deep concern over the continuing double lockdown as well as the intensification of military crackdown by Indian occupation forces and attempts to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory by introducing new domicile law.”

Saud in turn said he stands by Kashmiris’ rights and vowed to take up the matter at relevant forums.