OIC says Kashmir is internationally recognized dispute, invokes UN resolutions and plebiscite

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) consists of 57 member states and is an important forum of Muslim countries. (AFP/File)

• The OIC called for the immediate lifting of the curfew and restoration of communications in Indian-administered Kashmir
• Stressed the need for the resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India

ISLAMABAD: The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a statement on Saturday that the Kashmir dispute had an internationally recognized status, and reaffirmed its position on a UN-supervised plebiscite in the region- contrary to India’s claims that the issue was a bilateral one.
The statement said the OIC had been “following with concern” the developments in Jammu and Kashmir after New Delhi’s unilateral decision to revoke Indian-administered Kashmir’s constitutionally assured special status on August 5th, and declare it a part of mainstream India.
“The General Secretariat reaffirms the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on the internationally recognized status of Jammu and Kashmir dispute and its final disposition through a UN-supervised plebiscite,” it said and called for the “immediate lifting of the curfew, restoration of communication and the respect for the fundamental rights of Kashmiris.”
The OIC General Secretariat also stressed the need for resumption of dialogue between nuclear-armed neighbors Pakistan and India, and said this was “a prerequisite for development, peace and stability in South Asia.”
On August 28, Raja Ali Ejaz, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the OIC called on the Secretary General, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen in Jeddah, and delivered a letter from Pakistan’s foreign minister with details about the human rights abuses and near-total communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir now in its fourth week.
The Secretary General reiterated the OIC’s position on the matter and his full support for Pakistan and the Kashmiri people. 
On Saturday, in an exclusive interview with Arab News, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he had written a letter to the OIC contact group on Kashmir and would convene a meeting of the group on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session later this month.