New Delhi/May, 30 : Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday said the Jammu and Kashmir issue “is close to our hearts” and “linking it with terrorism is a violation of international law”.
“The Jammu and Kashmir crises is close to our hearts and is one of the most important issues on the agenda of the organization of Islamic Cooperation, and therefore our commitment to the Jammu and Kashmir cause has been and will remain firm,” said OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen.
He said Kashmir movement is a “legitimate struggle” of the people for the realization of their rights and independence and fully in conformity with the resolution of the United Nations and international law.
“Attempts to suppress or degrade it by linking it to terrorism are, therefore, futile and in violation of United Nations resolutions and International law,” he said during his speech to the Ministerial Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir on the sidelines of the 14th Islamic Summit in the holy city of Mecca.
Batting for a dialogue to resolve the issue, the OIC Secretary General said: “I hope that a genuine dialogue between Pakistan and India will resume, which will be the best framework for addressing all outstanding issues, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he said.
Calling Kashmir as an important agenda of the OIC, Dr Yousef also asked India to “cease” using force against unarmed Kashmiri people.
“The OIC General Secretariat has continued to highlight in all its engagements in the international forums that it is necessary to ensure that India ceases to use force against innocent and defenseless civilians in Kashmir and stop its disregard for human rights laws,” he said.
The General Secretary said that OIC will continue to work towards a peaceful solution to the Kashmir conflict.
“The OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission will also continue to monitor serious violations of human rights in Kashmir and will continue to raise it with other international human rights bodies.”
He said that they are following with deep concern the bloody events against the security of the people of the Jammu and Kashmir, the developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the conditions of the Rohingya, the Muslim peoples in Turkish Cyprus, Bosnia and Kosovo and the situation of Muslim societies in the rest of the world.
India has in the past asked the OIC not to make references to Kashmir, saying it was an internal matter.
