Pakistan desires early meeting of OIC foreign ministers on IoK: FM

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said Pakistan desires an early meeting of the foreign ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on the human rights violations in occupied Kashmir to send across a message on the issue.

Addressing a news conference, the foreign ministers said all the minorities and progressive Hindus are protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 across the country. He said there is a protest-like environment in the entire country as 25 people have so far been killed in the current tension.

He said that international newspapers and magazines are carrying articles of criticism of the Indian government that is pursuing the Hindutva agenda. He said chief ministers of five Indian states have refused to implement the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act

FM Qureshi said Indian government carried out communication blackout in occupied Kashmir after imposing curfew there for five months, but the entire India cannot be put under curfew and the world saw the real face of India. He further said India has been carrying out ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the fencing on the border region has also been cut at five places. 

He said UN Military Observers Group should brief the UN Security Council about the situation prevailing along the Line of Control. He said the seventh letter to UN Security Council president has been sent apprising him of the ground situation.

Responding to a question about NAB Amendment Ordinance, the foreign minister said PPP and PML-N desired review of the NAB law and now as government has proposed some amendments, the opposition parties are trying to give it a new colour. He said the matter can be resolved through mutual consultations.

The OIC has decided to convene a meeting on human rights situation in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and enactment of an anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment law in India. The ministerial level OIC meeting is expected to be held in Islamabad in April 2020.

The development comes after Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Pakistan extending Riyadh’s steadfast support to Pakistan’s core national interests including the OIC’s greater role in the Kashmir dispute.