March 4, 2019
New Delhi rejects an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation joint resolution over Kashmir.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday rejected a resolution on Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir adopted by an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi, terming the matter an “internal” issue.
According to the Foreign Office (FO), OIC member states in a resolution adopted by the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, “reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains the core dispute between Pakistan and India and its resolution is indispensable for the dream for peace in South Asia.”
The OIC resolution had condemned in the strongest terms recent wave of Indian terrorism in occupied Kashmir and expressed deep concern over atrocities and human rights violations in the occupied valley.
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The resolution also reminded the international community of its obligation to ensure implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
India’s MEA, in a statement on Saturday, stated: “As regards the resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, our stand is consistent and well known. We reaffirm that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India.”
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In the context of the current volatile situation in the region, the OIC member states had also adopted a new resolution sponsored by Pakistan, which expressed grave concern over the Indian violation of Pakistani airspace, affirmed Pakistan’s right to self-defence; and urged India to refrain from the threat or use of force.
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This OIC resolution on regional peace and security in South Asia also welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s renewed offer of dialogue to India and the goodwill gesture of handing over the captured Indian pilot. The resolution had called for restraint and de-escalation as well as the need to resolve outstanding issues through peaceful means.
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The OIC’s resolutions on Kashmir, the India-Pakistan Peace Process and a statement on “Muslim minorities” globally ─ which called on the Indian government to rebuild Babri Mosque ─ were described by The Hindu as an “embarrassment for the government” a day after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had addressed the gathering.