OIC Contact Group condemns Indian barbarism in held Kashmir

'Dispute continues to be a threat to the peace and security of the region'

ISLAMABAD: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir reaffirmed continued support to the people of held Kashmir in their struggle for the realisation of their right to self-determination.

The Contact Group on Monday paid tribute to Kashmiris for rendering unmatched sacrifices in this struggle against Indian occupation on the sidelines of 44th session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Abidjan, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, said a statement by the Foreign Office. The OIC Secretary General Yousaf A al Othaimeen chaired the meeting.

The OIC strongly condemned and deplored the continued terrorism by India in the valley and noted that the unresolved Kashmir dispute continues to threaten the peace and security of the region. It emphasised that the conflict shall be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiri people and the United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions.



Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz led the Pakistan delegation while ministers and senior officials of Azerbaijan, Niger, Saudi Arabia and Turkey also attended the meeting.

The OIC secretary general, in his speech, said no one could accept the attempts of associating Kashmiris with terrorism. He underscored that the OIC would continue to express concern over the gross human rights violations in the Indian-held Kashmir.

Aziz stressed that Kashmiris were striving hard to achieve their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.

The adviser reiterated the country's diplomatic, moral and political support to the people of Kashmir in their struggle against illegal Indian occupation. He also deplored that the Indian atrocities in the region since July 2016, particularly the use of pellet guns to deliberately damage the eyes of Kashmiri youth.

Lauding OIC’s support for Kashmiris, Aziz deplored India’s deliberate and continued violations of ceasefire along the Line of Control resulting in the loss of innocent lives.



A delegation of True Representatives of Kashmiri People (TRKP) led by AJK PM Raja Farooq Haider Khan also highlighted the human rights situation in the valley.

The Hurriyat leadership from Indian-held Kashmir could not attend the meeting due to travel restrictions imposed by the India. However, Faiz Naqshbandi, a representative of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) read out messages from Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

According to the Hurriyat leaders, they could not attend the event due to restriction on their movement and confiscation of passports. Syed Ali Geelani, in his letter, underscored that Kashmir was not just a territorial dispute but also a humanistic issue concerning future of millions of Muslims undergoing immense hardship due to Indian brutality.