ISLAMABAD: The secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has informed India that it was ready to play a role in talks between Pakistan and India if the two countries desired.
Earlier it was the UAE which had admitted playing a role for Pakistan and India to meet which resulted in several rounds of talks between ISI Chief General Faiz Hameed and the National Security Adviser of India Ajit Doval. The offer for future talks was made by Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen, in a statement issued by his office in which he confirmed that he had received on 5 July in his office in Jeddah, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who was paying a courtesy visit. The secretary general was quoted by the OIC that a number of issues were reviewed with him concerning the situation of Muslims in India, along with the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and relevant UN and OIC resolutions opposing any unilateral actions on the issue.
“He conveyed the desire of the OIC General Secretariat to dispatch a delegation to the disputed territory in line with relevant resolutions of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. The secretary general also asked about the possibility of a meeting between Pakistan and India, stating that the General Secretariat stands ready to assist if the two parties would so request,” added the statement.
However, the spokesman at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs clarified on Thursday that the meeting was in response to an earlier request made by the secretary general of the OIC.
He added that some misconceptions needed to be corrected, and that India wanted to ensure that the platform of the OIC was not, “subverted by vested interests for comments on the internal affairs of India or anti-India propaganda. As regards to Pakistan, I have already referred to vested interests in my comments and that is very clear.”
Earlier, on Wednesday, the Foreign Office here had issued a statement regarding the meeting but had not made any reference to the offer from the OIC regarding talks between Pakistan and India.
Rather it pointed out, “India has consistently ignored OIC resolutions and evaded its responsibility of protecting the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people. This is the first time that the principled position of the 57 OIC member states has been duly conveyed to India. India should review its policies in IIOJ&K and fully implement UNSC and OIC resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”
It further elaborated that the meeting between the Indian Ambassador and the OIC Secretary General took place in the context of the mandate afforded by Resolution 10/47-Pol of the 47th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.
