Srinagar, May 30 (KNO): The Meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu & Kashmir was held in Jeddah on 29th May, 2019 at the sidelines of the 14thIslamic Summit. The meeting was chaired by the OIC Secretary General and attended by the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Turkey, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan and Senior Representatives of Saudi Arabia and Niger. The True Representatives of Kashmiri people, including Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, also attended the meeting.
The OIC Secretary General expressed deep concern over the grave situation in the Jammu and Kashmir, called for an immediate cessation of oppression and atrocities and urged the government of India for the peaceful settlement of the dispute, in accordance with wishes of Kashmiri people and the UN Security Council Resolutions.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi apprised the delegates of the continuing “Indian state terrorism in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoK), which has led to the persecution and torture of hundreds of thousands of innocent Kashmiris.”
The Foreign Minister drew the attention of the participants of the Contact Group to the Reports on Jammu and Kashmir by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UK Parliament’s All Parties Parliamentary Kashmir Group (APPKG), as well as the historic Exchange of Views on the human rights situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in the European Parliament, all of which have denounced systematic torture and killings of innocent civilians in IoK. He iterated that the world is finally waking up to the worst form of state terrorism in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The Foreign Minister said “Pakistan’s political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of IoK in their just struggle to achieve the inalienable right to self-determination. He thanked the OIC for its unfaltering support on the Jammu &Kashmir dispute. Noting that the unresolved Jammu &Kashmir dispute was a constant threat to peace and stability in South Asia, the Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan’s determination to resolve the dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.”
The Foreign Minister of Turkey expressed grave concern at the deteriorating situation in the Jammu and Kashmir. He also expressed serious concern at the serious human rights violations perpetrated by India against the innocent Kashmiris. He emphasized the urgency of resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, especially in the wake of the recent events.
He said resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute was important so as to bring regional peace and ensure development in South Asia. It was the major obstacle in India-Pakistan relations and its humanitarian aspect required urgent attention of the international community.
The members of the OIC Contact Group expressed their complete solidarity with the valiant struggle of the Kashmiri people. They reaffirmed their resolve to remain the voice of the Kashmiris' at the international stage. The conclusions of the meeting were adopted and would be submitted for appropriate action of the Council of Foreign Minister of the OIC.
Masood Khan, President of PaK also attended the meeting of the OIC Contact Group and briefed the members on the continued oppressive policies of occupation forces. He commended the OIC support for the Kashmiri people and for realization of the right to self-determination. The True Representatives also presented a Memorandum to the OIC Secretary General.
The OIC Contact Group on Jammu &Kashmir was formed in 1994 to coordinate the policy of the OIC on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Azerbaijan, Niger, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are its members. The deliberations of the Contact Group reflect the solidarity of the OIC with the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.(KNO)