UNITED NATIONS (Kashmir English): An important meeting of the Contact Group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, chaired by the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the meeting discussed in detail the political and security situation and deteriorating human rights situation in occupied Kashmir. Representatives from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Niger, and Azerbaijan, as well as a delegation of representatives of the Kashmiri people, also participated in the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi strongly condemned India’s efforts to consolidate its illegal occupation, oppressive laws, repression, and demographic changes.
He said that lasting peace and stability in South Asia are linked to the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He urged the OIC to exert practical pressure to end Indian oppression and release political prisoners.
Tariq Fatemi, while thanking the OIC and member states, clarified that Pakistan will continue to provide political, moral, and diplomatic support to the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination.
In the meeting, the OIC welcomed the recent ceasefire and said that the events following the Pahalgam attack have once again made it clear that peace in the region is not possible without a solution to the Kashmir issue. The irresponsible statements of Indian leaders were also termed as a threat to regional peace.
The OIC strongly condemned the arrests of thousands of political activists and human rights defenders, the ban on religious gatherings in Srinagar’s Jama Masjid and Eidgah. At the same time, the organization rejected the Indian actions of August 5, 2019, and the demographic changes and said that Indian elections in occupied Kashmir can in no way be a substitute for the right to self-determination.
On this occasion, the OIC also welcomed the visit of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.
