OIC secretary general visits LoC

MUZAFFARABAD: The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, has said that Kashmir is the top priority of OIC agenda and he will submit a comprehensive assessment report on the human rights situation in Kashmir to member countries.

He made these remarks during a joint presser with the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) president here on Sunday at the Presidency after meeting with the AJK president and prime minister. He also made a brief visit to the Line of Control (LoC) and refugee camps.

Taha said he was visiting the AJK under the resolutions passed by the OIC contact group on Kashmir to assess the situation and would submit a comprehensive report to the group and Council of Foreign Ministers of the member countries. Also, he would like to seek permission from India to visit the other side of the LoC.

The OIC SG said the second purpose of his visit was to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir who had been suffering for a long time and assured them that the OIC, being a Muslim community, was making constant efforts to find a solution to their issue in consultation with the world community.

He said during his day-long visit to the AJK, he met with people affected by Indian firing across the LoC and refugees who migrated from the Indian side of Kashmir due to the atrocities. He would assess their problems and sufferings to make it a part of his assessment report.

Replying to a question, Hissein Brahim Taha said being the secretary-general of the organisation, his duty was to take this issue with all the stakeholders, and partners and to find out a solution of this long-standing issue.

“My duty is only to inform the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) about the situation and thereafter they would find or suggest further line of action. It is most important to find out a solution of this long-standing issue and for this purpose, I would also contact India,” Taha replied to questions during the presser.

He expressed gratitude to AJK President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry for hosting his visit.

Earlier, while welcoming the secretary general, the AJK president said the visit of the OIC chief was a source of encouragement for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and called it a big day for the Kashmiri people.

Recalling his meetings with the secretary general, Barrister Sultan said he held three meetings earlier, first in summit conference in March last year, second at Jeddah in April and thereafter in Washington and New York on the occasion of United Nations General Assembly (UNGS) meeting and found OIC SG very sympathetic towards the Kashmiri people.

Sultan said on the occasion of international human rights day, he informed the OIC chief about the gross human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), adding that the secretary general had always supported the right to self-determination to the people of Kashmir.