The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Groupon Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday called on India to immediately stop the”repressive security operations” against the people of Jammu and Kashmir andrespect their fundamental and basic human rights.
In an emergency meeting at the OIC General Secretariat inJeddah, it also urged India to address the dispute in accordance with therelevant OIC and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on thesubject as well as the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people, theprinciple of self-determination and human rights.
Reiterating their continued support to the people of Jammuand Kashmir, the contact group called on the OIC and the UN Secretary to usetheir good offices to check the “dangerous escalation by India,” which isthreat to regional peace and security. The contact group was formed in 1994 tocoordinate policy of OIC on Jammu and Kashmir.
Today’s meeting was called ahead of the 46th session of theCouncil of Foreign Minsters being held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates(UAE).
The meeting was chaired, on behalf of the OIC secretarygeneral by Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Hameed A Opeloyeru, andattended by Foreign Secretary of Pakistan TehminaJanjua and permanent representativesof Azerbaijan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Niger. The meeting was also attended bythe president of Pak administered Jammu and Kashmir.
In his opening remarks, Opeloyeru expressed grave concern atthe rising tension in South Asia, strongly condemned the “recent wave ofrepression, brutal killing of innocent Kashmiri civilians”, and reiteratedOIC’s principled position on supporting the people of Jammu and Kashmir inachieving their legitimate rights, including the right of self-determination.
He emphasised that conflict should be resolved in accordancewith the aspiration of Kashmiri people and OIC and United Nations resolutions.
The contact group appreciated Prime Minister Imran’s offer for peace and dialogue to India to resolve all issues. It also expressed deep concern over the heightened tension and called for immediate de-escalation in the region. (Express Tribune)