OIC role sought for lasting solution to Kashmir dispute

By Asghar Ali Mubarak

ISLAMABAD: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group has urged New Delhi to immediately end siege of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K), said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday.
He was briefing the media on emergency virtual meeting of the OIC Contact Group on IOJ&K, which was held earlier in the day. Foreign ministers of member countries of the Contact Group – Azerbaijan, Niger, Saudi Arabia and Turkey among others – attended the meeting. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan also participated in the meeting.
FM Qureshi said he briefed the participants of worst human rights violations being committed in the occupied valley by Indian forces including the extra-judicial killings of Kashmiri youth. He said the contact group called upon Indian to repeal all black laws in the disputed region and agreed to form an observation mission to assess the ground situation of the region.
On Islamabad’s call, OIC to hold virtual meeting on Kashmir today
On August 5, 2019 the Modi-led government revoked Article 370 and other related provisions from its Constitution, scrapping the country’s only Muslim-majority state with its autonomy. It was also split into two federally administered territories.
Simultaneously, it locked the region down, detaining thousands of people, imposing movement restrictions and enforcing a communications blackout.
FM Qureshi said the situation is deteriorating fast in IOJ&K while occupation forces and authorities are trying to crush the indigenous freedom struggle of Kashmiris. He said hundreds of Kashmiris have lost their eyesight due to use of pellet guns and wide-spread extra-judicial killings of Kashmiris have taken place “but media is being gagged”.
The foreign minister said India is venting out its frustration of embarrassing defeat in Laddakh standoff with China, which left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.
“The group expressed concern on ceasefire violations along LoC [Line of Control],” he added. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said that India can mobilise sleeper cells in Pakistan, to divert attention from its internal issues and disrupt peace in the neighbouring country.
“Let it be Line of Control (LoC) firing provocations or any other matter, India cannot see enduring peace in Pakistan,” Qureshi said in a statement.
He added the Bhartia Janta Party-led Indian government is under immense pressure due to its embarrassing military skirmish with China in Ladakh.
“I will raise the issue of regional security with foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries,” he said.
The foreign minister added that recently a few incidents took place in Karachi and the government is looking closely into them.
India has increased ceasefire violations across the LoC in the past few months.
A day earlier, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Indian troops initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation in Hajipir and Bedori sectors along the LoC, targeting the civilian population.
A 13-year-old girl, identified as Iqra Shabbir, embraced martyrdom as Indian troops resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations.
On Saturday, Indian forces resorted to indiscriminate firing across the LoC injuring three Pakistani civilians critically.
“Indian Army troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation using mortars and automatics in Nikial Sector along LOC deliberately targeting the civilian population. Due to indiscriminate fire in Khanni and Ooli villages, three innocent civilians received critical injuries.
“All injured evacuated and being provided with medical care,” the ISPR had said.
Pakistan had summoned senior Indian envoys and diplomats after every ceasefire violation to protest strongly against India’s unprovoked aggression. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to step up its efforts to facilitate a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue.
“The oppressed people of India occupied Jammu and Kashmir, now more than ever, count on the OIC and the Muslim ummah.
“The OIC must urge India to rescind its unilateral and illegal actions since August 5, 2019, implement the relevant UNSC resolutions to hold a UN-supervised plebiscite, halt its blatant human rights violations and provide unhindered access to […] human rights organisations and international media to investigate and report on the situation in the occupied territory.”
The foreign minister expressed these views while addressing a virtual meeting meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. According to Radio Pakistan, the meeting was held at a ministerial level to discuss the worsening situation in the occupied valley.
During today’s meeting, the foreign minister also urged the group to lend support for actively raising the issue at international forums.
Qureshi began his speech by stating that the last time the group met was in New York on September 25, 2019.
“Since then, the situation has further aggravated. It is marked by gross and systemic violations of human rights, and an escalating threat to regional peace and security.
“The current Indian leadership remains bent upon perpetuating India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. The ‘Hindutva’ agenda of the RSS-BJP combine is deliberately targeting defenceless Kashmiris with unspeakable violence to break their will.”
He said that Pakistan has consistently been raising the issue with the OIC and the international community about India’s “real intentions to change the demographic structure [of the occupied valley] and further disempower and disenfranchise the Kashmiris”.
“It is highly reprehensible that while the world community is grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, India remains busy intensifying its brutalisation of the Kashmiri people.”
He maintained that India was seeking to cover up the indigenous struggle of the Kashmiris, by calling it “terrorism” and by blaming Pakistan.
As part of this cover up, India has intensified ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary, he said.
“Since January 1, India has committed 1,440 ceasefire violations [and] has deliberately targeted innocent civilians on the Pakistani side of the LoC, killing 13 and injuring 104, including women and children.”
He added that despite India’s “belligerent rhetoric and aggressive actions”, Pakistan had showed maximum restriant.
“Pakistan does not want another conflict. However, it has the will and the capacity to respond forcefully and effectively, and defend itself resolutely against any act of aggression.”
In a statement issued after the meeting, OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef A Al-Othaimeen stressed the group’s commitment to finding a peacefull settlement for the Kashmir issue
“At the same time, 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,” the secretary general said.
The group also reaffirmed the continued support for the people of occupied Kashmir and called on the United Nations secretary general to urge India to abide by the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions and engage in dialogue.
The group called on India to halt security operations, respect basic human rights, refrain from changing the demographic structure of the occuiped valley, and settle the conflict under the relevant UNSC resolutions, the statement said.
After the meeting, the group issued a statement on recent developments in the region in which it welcomed the efforts made by some member states to mediate between India and Pakistan.
Earlier today, Qureshi phoned Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Al Saud and discussed matters of mutual interest, including the coronavirus pandemic, enhancing bilateral cooperation and the situation in occupied Kashmir.
According to a statement from the foreign ministry, Qureshi shared “deep concern over the continuing double lockdown as well as the intensification of [a] military crackdown by Indian occupation forces and attempts to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory by introducing [a] new domicile law”.
He also lauded recent statements by the OIC and other international bodies which showed serious concern and urged urgent steps to address the situation in occupied Kashmir.
The Saudi foreign minister reaffirmed kingdom’s support for the Kashmir cause, the statement said.