Jammu & Kashmir

Working on plan to find solution to Kashmir Dispute, says OIC, India reacts

An armed forces personnel stands deployed in Srinagar amid restriction. [FPK File Photo/ Zainab]

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has said it has been working on a plan to find a channel of discussion between Pakistan and India in its earnest endeavours to see a solution to the longstanding Kashmir dispute.

“The OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha undertakes an official visit to Pakistan from 10 to 12 December 2022. On 10 December, he held a working session with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pakistan. Both sides discussed relations between the OIC and Pakistan as well as issues related to Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Islamophobia and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan,” the OIC statement said.

Both sides also exchanged views on economic, social and technological cooperation among OIC member States, it said.

“I think the most important thing is to find the channel of discussion between stakeholders [India and Pakistan] and we are working on a plan of action in this regard in collaboration with the Pakistani government and other member countries,” said OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha at a brief media talk at President’s House on Sunday.

“That’s why we need the mandate of member states and we should know that most of the issues in diplomacy should not be [discussed] on the street,” he added.

Pakistan administered Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood and Prime Minister of Pakistan administered Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, Adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, OIC Contact Group on Kashmir members, senior officials of the OIC general secretariat were also present.

Taha told the media that he had undertaken the tour to implement a resolution adopted by the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) at a recent session, as he wanted to see for himself the situation on the ground, Dawn reported.

“We are here to express our solidarity, sympathy and determination of the OIC to find out a solution for this longest conflict between India and Pakistan [in collaboration] with our partners, with the international community and with our member states.”

He said Kashmir is part of OIC which has collective and individual responsibility to talk about this issue to find a solution.

Meanwhile, India has “strongly” condemned the visit of the executive head of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to Pakistan-administered Kashmir, claiming that any “attempt of interference and meddling” is “completely unacceptable”.

MEA India spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India strongly condemns the visit of OIC Secretary General to Pakistan administered Kashmir and his comments on JK during his visit to Pakistan.

“Any attempt of interference and meddling in India’s internal affairs by OIC and its Secretary General is completely unacceptable,” he added.

 

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