India slams OIC for references on Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi, June 04: Slamming references made by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Kashmir, India has said that it rejects the same.

A statement issued by the Ministry for External Affairs said, " The OCI has no locus stand in matters relating to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. It is reiterated that the OIC should refrain from making such unwarranted references."

The OIC mentioned Kashmir 6 times while stating that it reaffirmed its principled support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the realisation of their legitimate right to self-determination.

The OIC is an international organisation consisting of 57 member states, with 53 countries being Muslim-majority nations.

The 14th OIC summit was held in the holy city of Makkah on Friday and several leaders of Muslim countries attended. Prime Minister Imran Khan represented Pakistan at the Summit.

Foreign Office said in a statement that the Summit in Makkah reiterated the Conference's principled support for the legitimate right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with UN resolutions.

India has made it clear that there is no scope for any third party role or mediation in Kashmir. The Ministry of External Affairs said in March that the Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India.

The Conference approved Yousef Aldobeay of Saudi Arabia as OIC's special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir.

The Conference called for adoption of a comprehensive strategy to combat Islamophobia, building on proposals made by Pakistan in the OIC Ministerial Executive Committee meeting in March 2019.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in his address articulated Pakistan's views on the situation in Kashmir, Palestine, Islamophobia and the need for science, technology and innovation for Muslim countries, the statement said.

Prime Minister Khan held meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other leaders on the sidelines of the summit, according to the statement.