India on Monday rejected as “unacceptable” the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir in a communique adopted at its summit meeting in the holy city of Makkah last week.
In a strong reaction, Ministry of External AffairsSpokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the OIC has no locus standi in matters relatingto Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that the state is an integral part of India.
He also said the OIC should refrain from making such”unwarranted references”. In its final communique at the Makkahsummit, the OIC reiterated its support for the legitimate rights of the peopleof Jammu and Kashmir and even appointed a special envoy for the state. The OICis an international organisation consisting of 57 member states, 53 of themMuslim-majority nations.
“We categorically reject yet another unacceptablereference to matters internal to India in the Final Communiqué adopted at theconclusion of the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organisation of IslamicCooperation (OIC) member states held at Makkah on May 31,” Kumar said.
He was responding to media queries on a reference to Jammuand Kashmir in the OIC document.
“The OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to thestate of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. It isreiterated that OIC should refrain from making such unwarrantedreferences,” Kumar said.On March 1, then External Affairs MinisterSushmaSwaraj attended the inaugural plenary of the 46th session of the Councilof Foreign Ministers (CFM) of OIC in Abu Dhabi on March 1. She was the firstIndian minister to address the OIC meeting. India’s participation came despitePakistan’s strong demand to rescind the invitation to Swaraj. Pakistan’srequest was turned down by host UAE, resulting in Pakistan Foreign MinisterShah Mehmood Qureshi boycotting the plenary.