Qureshi, OIC chief discuss IOK’s Covid-19 situation

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi held a telephone conversation on Tuesday with Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Yousef al-Othaimeen, during which he discussed how the ongoing restrictions in Indian-occupied Kashmir were affecting the Covid-19 situation there.

The foreign minister highlighted that continued restrictions on communication and movement in Indian-occupied Kashmir were preventing the unfettered supply of medicines and other essentials, as well as the dissemination of information needed to combat the disease. In this context, he noted the significant number of coronavirus cases and two deaths reported in the disputed territory. The foreign minister also highlighted concerns regarding the possibility of the spread of Covid-19 among the large number of Kashmiri youths incarcerated by India.

The foreign minister further noted that the senior Hurriyat leadership was under detention at their homes or in different prisons.