India has pushed back strongly against a statement issued by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the grouping has no right to comment on India’s internal affairs.
The response came as the UN General Assembly session is underway in New York. On the sidelines, the OIC’s contact group on Kashmir held a meeting attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Niger.
Following the meeting, a joint statement was released containing contentious remarks on Kashmir, including calls to restore special status and references to a right to self-determination for the people of the region.
In its rebuttal, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India, and that no amount of “false propaganda” can change this reality. The ministry also said the OIC’s continued support for what it termed motivated narratives raises serious questions about the organisation’s credibility.
The statement further pointed to Pakistan’s “proven history” of supporting and promoting terrorism, and said the OIC should advise Pakistan to abandon terrorism instead of acting as its mouthpiece.
