JEDDAH: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday condemned Indian atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and urged the international community to probe the grave human rights abuses in the held valley.
The foreign minister said this while addressing a session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir in Jeddah. He was leading Pakistan’s delegation in the meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Jeddah, a precursor to the 14th Islamic Summit Conference due to be held in Makkah.
He said that Kashmiri youth taking to streets shows their lack of faith in Indian leadership. “Kashmiris’ right to self-determination continues to be denied through illegal occupation and a concerted campaign of torture, humiliation, rape, and violence,” said Qureshi.
Qureshi also strongly condemned Israel’s continuing atrocities against innocent Palestinians. He called for consideration of measures to guarantee the safety and security of Palestinians in the occupied territories. “While reaffirming full solidarity with the Palestinian people, Pakistan renews its call for the establishment of a viable, independent and the contiguous state of Palestine, on the basis of internationally agreed parameters, pre-1967 borders, and with Al Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” he said.
Talking about the possibility of dialogue between Pakistan and India, Qureshi said that a meeting is not set between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that the Pakistani prime minister never turned down the possibility of a meeting.
The meeting also saw Pakistan being elected vice chair of the Bureau of OIC Summit from Asia.
Earlier, talking to OIC Secretary General Yousef Al-Othaimeen on the sidelines of OIC Foreign Ministers Council in Jeddah, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the solution to the challenges being faced by the Muslim world lies in unity and joint efforts.
Qureshi expressed hope that the OIC secretary general will review the implementation of the joint decisions taken about Islamophobia in the meeting of OIC Executive Council in March this year.
“These decisions included the writing of letter on the subject of Islamophobia to the United Nations (UN) secretary general, contact with the concerned telecom companies for checking blasphemous material on social media, and appointment of UN special representative,” he said.
Lauding the role of OIC Contact Group for Jammu and Kashmir, Qureshi said that the group has played an important role in highlighting the Kashmir issue at international level and drawing the international community’s attention toward the atrocities being committed against innocent people of occupied Kashmir.
He said that Pakistan wants that Kashmir issue should be resolved as per UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiris. The foreign minister thanked the OIC secretary general for supporting Pakistan on Kashmir and other issues.
The OIC secretary general said that Pakistan is an important member of the organisation. He said that the organisation welcomes the suggestions presented by Pakistan and gives them special importance.
Later, speaking to journalists in Jeddah, Qureshi said that there is a strong need for Indian leadership to be like Manmohan Singh. He said that Pakistan has always emphasised on talks with India. The foreign minister said that if the two leaders meet on the sidelines of any meeting or event then it is a positive sign and good beginning for both neighbouring countries.