May 28 , 2015
News
OIC calls for peaceful solution of Kashmir dispute
ISLAMABAD: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani in his opening statement at the 42nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Kuwait on Wednesday called for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
He said that the final resolution, evolved through a sustainable dialogue, should be in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, revealed a press statement issued by the Foreign Office of Pakistan.
Later, the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir was chaired by Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary General on Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Abdur Rehman Abdullah Alim. The meeting was attended by Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz; Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamadyarov; Saudi Ambassador Muhammad Ahmed Tayyab; the ambassador of Turkey and Ambassador of Niger Dr Oumarou Amadou Sonrhai. Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan and Ghulam Muhammad Safi also attended the meeting as the true representatives of the Kashmiri people.
In his statement, Ambassador Alim reiterated the unwavering support of the OIC for the Kashmir cause. Emphasising the need for the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he called upon India to respect the will and rights of the Kashmiris. He expressed disappointment on the use of force and violence against the Kashmiri people by the Indian security forces. He also mentioned the mandate given to the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) to monitor the human rights situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and report its findings to the Council of Foreign Ministers.
The Azerbaijan foreign minister in his statement emphasised that the Kashmir dispute should be resolved in accordance with the UN Resolutions and the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He added that it was one of the longest unsettled issues on the UN agenda, and attributed the delay in its just settlement to the double standards of the international community.
The Saudi ambassador underscored the need for peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute through meaningful discussions. He added that the people and the Government of Saudi Arabia stood alongside the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle to achieve their right to self-determination. Appreciating the regular visits of the OIC secretary general’s special envoy to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, he proposed that the delegations of the Contact Group member countries should accompany the OIC special envoy on a visit to the IOK. The proposal was appreciated by all the participants of the Contact Group.
In his address to the Contact Group, Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz stressed that the Government of Pakistan would continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their right to self-determination. He emphasised that the Kashmir issue needed to be resolved in accordance with the relevant UN Resolutions and wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan appreciated OIC’s consistent support to the Kashmiri people. He thanked the OIC secretary general and Ambassador Alim for taking keen interest in socioeconomic development of AJK.
Representing the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Muhammad Safi apprised the meeting of the situation in IOK. He highlighted the recent killings of youth and protests in IOK and the use of force by the Indian occupying forces against the innocent Kashmiris seeking their right to self-determination. He also highlighted the continued detention of the Kashmiri leaders in IOK. The true representatives of the Kashmiri people presented a memorandum on Jammu and Kashmir to Ambassador Alim.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk