India rejects OIC references on Kashmir and accuses Pakistan of bigoted agenda

NEW DELHI — India on Monday rejected references to the country in resolutions adopted at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Baghdad, according to The Indian Awaaz, which reported the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement issued on October 19.

The 52nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers was held in the Iraqi capital on October 17 and 18. The resolutions covered political and regional issues, including Jammu and Kashmir and allegations relating to Islamophobia. India described the references as politically motivated and questioned the credibility of the organisation.

In its statement, the MEA said the OIC had once again allowed itself to be "misused by Pakistan for its bigoted agenda," according to the report. The ministry said the grouping had no standing to comment on matters it described as strictly internal to India. It called the allegations "malicious, biased and false."

The ministry said Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were integral parts of India, and that politically motivated statements could not change that position. It cited infrastructure development, tourism and improved connectivity as areas of progress in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

The MEA contrasted this with conditions in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It accused Pakistan of using violence and repression against civilian protesters and of concealing human rights violations through a media blackout. The report did not include any response from Pakistan or the OIC to these claims.

According to the ministry, the outstanding issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir are Pakistan's withdrawal from territories under its occupation and an end to its alleged support for cross-border terrorism.

The MEA also rejected the OIC's references to Islamophobia. It said Pakistan was trying to divert international attention from its own record on minority persecution, sectarian violence and political instability. The ministry also questioned the grouping's repeated support for Pakistan's position and called on OIC members to reconsider and reform the organisation.

The report did not say whether the OIC or any member state had responded to the Indian statement.

Background

The OIC is a 57-member intergovernmental organisation of Muslim-majority countries. It describes itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world. Pakistan, a founding member, has often used the forum to raise the Kashmir issue, according to the report.

India is not a member of the OIC. It has consistently opposed the organisation's statements on Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi holds that the issue is an internal matter and that the grouping has no locus standi to intervene, the report said.

The Indian Awaaz is the only source for this report. The full text of the resolutions was not included in the source material, so the exact wording of the OIC references could not be verified.