OIC keeps Kashmir out of final dispatch

ABU DHABI/ISLAMABAD: The Kashmir dispute and atrocities being committed by the Indian forces in IHK was conspicuously missing in the Abu Dhabi Declaration upon conclusion of 46th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC in Abu Dhabi.

Well-placed diplomatic sources told The News that a special resolution sponsored by Pakistan was adopted, but the absence of Pakistan’s standpoint in the declaration is source of embarrassment for Pakistan since the joint communiqué indicates resolve of the members attending the huddle. In the separate resolution adopted by the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the OIC member states reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains the core dispute between Pakistan and India and its resolution is indispensable for the dream for peace in South Asia.

Pakistan lodged a protest over India’s participation in the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Abu Dhabi. Interestingly, the OIC adopted separate resolutions on Kashmir issue and Pakistan-India peace process but both the issues are not mentioned in the final communiqué “Abu Dhabi Declaration”. The OIC concluded with a separate statement on Jammu and Kashmir, and said it "condemns recent wave of Indian terrorism" in the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) and "mass blinding of Kashmiris". In a resolution adopted by the session, the OIC member states reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains the core dispute between Pakistan and India and its resolution is indispensable for the dream of peace in South Asia.

The Abu Dhabi Declaration welcomed the efforts made to maintain and strengthen regional peace and security in South Asia and praised the efforts of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed to find common ground for calm between the two leaderships in Pakistan and India. Pakistan's delegation head and Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz stood up and expressed resentment over India’s inclusion at the concluding session of the 46th session of the OIC CFM.

“Why they invited a non-member, non-Islamic, even not having observer status as guest of honour?” the senior Pakistani diplomat complained. He also aggressively mentioned that Pakistan is the founder member of OIC but was not taken on board for Indian’s invitation. On the other hand, the Foreign Ministers of the OIC member states issued the Abu Dhabi Declaration, which consists of 50 articles on various current issues including Pakistan-India tension, Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan and Syria. The Abu Dhabi Declaration also affirmed its commitment to supporting United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and calling on the international community to fulfil its commitments to the Palestinian cause. The declaration stressed that the only solution to the Yemeni crisis is through dialogue.

Pakistan had boycotted the plenary session of the 46th CFM at the foreign minister level due to the presence of Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. It says the strong OIC support to the people of IHK and the centrality of this core issue to regional peace “is recognition of the key role that Pakistan plays as a founding OIC member.” The Foreign Office says the OIC ministerial meeting that concluded Saturday in Abu Dhabi reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Kashmiri people in their just cause.

“The OIC resolution also condemned in the strongest terms recent wave of Indian terrorism in Indian Held Kashmir and expressed deep concern over the atrocities and human rights violations in IHK,” it added.

The resolution also reminded the international community of its obligation to ensure implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. This OIC resolution on regional peace and security in South Asia also welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s renewed offer of dialogue to India and the goodwill gesture of handing over the Indian pilot. The resolution called for restraint and de-escalation as well as the need to resolve outstanding issues through peaceful means.

The sources said Palestine issue was at the central point in the declaration where the OIC has taken a strong position on the issue. The conference was taking place on 50th anniversary of the foundation of the OIC and despite Pakistan’s staunch opposition, Sushma Swaraj was invited as the guest of honour in the conference. She addressed the inaugural session and later India took part in some important discussions. While not a predominantly Muslim country, India took part in several talks during the two-day conference. Sushma Swaraj on Friday spoke out against “states who provide shelter and funding to terrorists” in what some construed as a veiled criticism of Pakistan in the wake of its continued maligning against Pakistan.

The Afghan ambassador to the UAE also touched on the recent events in Kashmir. Abdul Farid Zikria called claims by Pakistan and the Taliban that Afghan peace talks will be affected by violence in Kashmir “questionable” and “puzzling". He said both Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan and Taliban officials recently questioned whether peace talks would survive the most recent skirmish between Pakistan and India. The two matters, he concluded, were not connected. The sources pointed out that the Contact Group on Kashmir headed by Turkey had an important meeting last week in Jeddah where Pakistan’s position on Kashmir was highlighted and human rights violations committed by the occupying forces in IHK were condemned.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua represented Pakistan in the Contact Group meeting. A separate special resolution that was adopted by the Council of the Foreign Ministers on Kashmir said that the OIC member states reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains the core dispute between Pakistan and India and its resolution is indispensable for the dream for peace in South Asia. In another significant development, the OIC elected Pakistan as a member of its Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission from the Asian region, in acknowledgement of Pakistan’s constructive contribution to human rights discourse, norms and policies. The OIC adopted two other resolutions sponsored by Pakistan on international disarmament and non-proliferation issues and reform of the UN Security Council.

Meanwhile, the UAE and Arab Group at the OIC have called on Iran to stop spreading chaos and sectarianism across the Middle East. This prompted the leader of the Iranian delegation to walk out of the conference. Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said: “We reiterate our demands to our neighbour Iran to review its policy and to stop interference in the affairs of states, supporting groups that fuel conflicts and to stop supporting, financing and arming terrorist organisations that clearly violate our (OIC) Charter, the Charter of the United Nations and our Islamic values.”

Representing the Arab Group, Adel Al Jubeir, Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs, said Iran continues to commit terrorist activities, flaring up sectarian sedition, supporting terrorism and occupying three UAE islands.