ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar held a meeting with a delegation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday, saying the people of Kashmir had “high expectations” of the 57-member intergovernmental organization and expressing his gratitude for its support to his country’s stance over the Kashmir issue.
OIC envoy for Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Yousef Al Dobeay, is currently visiting Pakistan with his team members where he held a news conference earlier this week and urged the Indian authorities to reverse its “illegal” actions carried out in August 2019.
New Delhi revoked Kashmir’s special constitutional status which allowed it to have its own flag and gave it limited autonomy before integrating the only Muslim-majority region under its rule with the rest of the Indian union.
The development prompted Pakistan to downgrade its diplomatic relations with its rival nuclear state since Kashmir is claimed by both countries in full but is only controlled by them in part.
“The Prime Minister stated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was the root cause of tensions in South Asia,” said a statement circulated by his office after the meeting. “Peace in the region would remain elusive till its resolution.”
He noted Pakistan was committed to a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions while highlighting the sacrifices of the people of Indian-administered Kashmir who have been striving for their right to self-determination.
“Kashmiris have always looked towards OIC and Ummah [Muslim community] for support,” he continued.
During the conversation between the two sides, the prime minister also expressed concern over the rise of Islamophobia around the world, saying it constituted a serious threat to global peace and security and urging to step up efforts to counter the problem.
The special OIC envoy said his organization was fully committed to the Kashmir cause, adding his visit to Pakistan and Azad Kashmir was an expression of that commitment.
