OIC deeply concerned over ‘delimitation’ in IHK

Islamabad: The statement by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressing its “deep concern” over India’s attempts to redraw the electoral boundaries of the IIOJK has hit a nerve in India with the Narendra Modi government calling it an “unwarranted comment.”

In a statement, the General Secretariat of the OIC spoke against altering the demographic structure of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and violating the rights of the Kashmiri people.

“The ‘delimitation’ exercises are in direct contravention of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention,” the 57-member Muslim world body said.

However, the OIC’s reiteration of its categorical stance on the Kashmir dispute has not gone well with India as hours after it, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement asking the body to refrain from carrying out its “communal agenda.”

“We are dismayed that the OIC secretariat has once again made unwarranted comments on the internal affairs of India,” the spokesperson of the Indian external affairs ministry Arindam Bagchi said.

Referring to the long-standing and principled position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and relevant decisions of the Islamic Summit and OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, the OIC General Secretariat reiterated its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their just quest for the right of self-determination, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The Muslim world body also urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council to take immediate cognizance of the grave implications of such ‘delimitation’ exercises.

However, India is still bent on calling the Kashmir dispute an internal matter of India, setting aside the numerous resolutions of the United Nations Security Council guaranteeing the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people.

“As in the past, the Government of India categorically rejects the assertions made by the OIC secretariat on the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral and inalienable part of India,” Bagchi said.

India had also gone berserk after the 48th Session of OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers in its session hosted by Pakistan in March this year, had exposed it for massive human rights abuses in IIOJK and stigmatization of the Muslims.

Attended by 46 ministerial-level delegations and 800 delegates, the moot adopted 140 resolutions.

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 that “references have been made to India that are based on falsehoods and misrepresentation.”