The resolutions and statements at the 48th Session of OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers have upset India as the 57-member Muslim world body exposed it for massive human rights abuses in IIOJK and stigmatization of the Muslims.
Hosted by Pakistan from March 22-23 and attended by 46 ministerial-level delegations and 800 delegates, the moot adopted 140 resolutions. Twenty resolutions were sponsored or co-sponsored by Pakistan. The Islamabad Declaration of the OCI-CFM has mentioned India 10 times condemning its human rights violations in IIOJK, seeking reversal of its unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, and also calling for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.
A day after the moot, the Indian External Affairs Ministry issued a statement saying the “references have been made to India that are based on falsehoods and misrepresentation.”
Instead of mending its own ways, the BJP government asked the nations and governments to realize the impact of the exercise on their reputation. The OIC-CFM also adopted a “Forceful resolution on Jammu and Kashmir dispute and comprehensive joint communiqué and an action plan by the Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, besides a resolution on threats to peace and security in South Asia – grave concerns over Indian missile launch incident of March 9.
In their statements, the OIC Secretary-General, leaders from Saudi Arabia, Niger, Asian, Arab and African Groups and China expressed their strong support and solidarity on the Kashmir issue.
The reports by OIC Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir, IPHRC and ASG for Humanitarian Affairs and endorsement of Pakistan’s position on legal, diplomatic, human rights, humanitarian and peace and security dimensions of the Jammu and Kashmir issue also featured the moot.
“We renew unwavering solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and express full support for their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the OIC, and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the Islamabad Declaration said.
“We condemn massive violations of their human rights in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)… We reiterate rejection of India’s illegal and unilateral actions since August 5, 2019 aimed at altering the demographic composition of the occupied territory, suppressing the realization of the inalienable right of self-determination of the Kashmiris,” the Islamabad Declaration said.
The 57-member Muslim world body also expressed grave concern over the violation of Pakistan’s airspace, a threat to passenger aircraft, and dangers to peace and security in South Asia arising from the launch of a supersonic missile on 9 March 2022 by India. “We call on India to fully abide by international law and norms of responsible State behavior and conduct a joint probe with Pakistan to accurately establish facts.”
Regarding the systematic and widespread policy of discrimination and intolerance against Muslims in India, the OIC-CFM denounced the “most pernicious attacks on the Muslim identity in India as manifest in the discriminatory laws and policies targeting the Hijab.” “We call upon India to immediately revoke such discriminatory laws, ensure the rights of the Indian Muslims and protect their religious freedoms.”
