Pakistan says Kashmir permanent feature of OIC agenda

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday dismissed India’s “false propaganda and disinformation campaign”, saying that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was a permanent feature on the agenda of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

FO Spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, in his weekly press briefing, passed the remarks in response to the reports that the OIC agenda available online had no mention of Kashmir among the issues that were to be discussed.

“Kashmir dispute remains a permanent item on the OIC’s agenda and the organisation has been unambiguously pronouncing itself on the issue for decades, through a succession of summits as well as CFM resolution,” said the spokesman.

Chaudhri said that the OIC has spoken on the matter multiple times since New Delhi’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019. He added that the OIC General Secretariat on multiple occasions has urged for the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

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The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir has also met thrice in the past 15 months, while the contact group last met at the level of foreign ministers in June this year.

“The Final Communiqué of that meeting called upon India to rescind its illegal actions and stop egregious human rights violations in the illegally occupied territory and the CFM session in Niger forms the first such meeting after India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 05, 2019,” said the spokesman.

Chaudhri was confident that the foreign ministers’ meeting would reiterate their strong support to the Kashmir cause.

“Let me confirm that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute continues to be amongst the longest standing items on the OIC agenda,” said the spokesman.

OIC chief reaffirms support

Separately, OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen, while appreciating Pakistan’s role as a founding and active member of the OIC, reaffirmed the organisation’s steadfast support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, said the Foreign Office.

The OIC secretary-general was speaking to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a meeting that took place within the run-up to the 47th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Niger’s capital Niamey.

The secretary-general, told Qureshi, that his special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir had visited Pakistan and AJK earlier this year and his report would be submitted to the CFM.

Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed appreciation at the OIC’s consistent and historic support for the Kashmir cause and also apprised the secretary-general about the initiative by Pakistan for the adoption of a resolution on Islamophobia by the 47th CFM.

Read more: FM Quershi leaves to attend OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting

“The foreign minister conveyed Pakistan’s deep concern at the aggravating human rights and humanitarian situation in IOJ&K, and India’s moves to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory, in clear violation of UN resolutions and international law including the 4th Geneva Convention,” said the FO.

The meeting was also attended by OIC secretary general’s special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir Ambassador Yousef Al-Dodeay, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the OIC and other senior officials.