Pakistan slams India for accusing OIC of following ‘communal agenda’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday slammed India for accusing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) of “bigotry” or “communal agenda”.

“Pakistan categorically rejects the ludicrous comments and fallacious claims made by the spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) criticising the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for its statement regarding India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5 2019. India’s hubris in this regard is deplorable,” said Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.

The spokesperson said it was “astounding to see an unabashed practitioner of ‘Hindutva’ accuse others of ‘bigotry’ or ‘communal agenda’”. “Equally appalling is the audacity of an established serial violator of human rights and purveyor of state-terrorism, pointing accusing fingers towards others,” said FO.

It reminded New Delhi that OIC is the largest multilateral forum of Islamic countries that is the voice of over 1.7 billion Muslims, adding that the “OIC has always been vocal in support of the legitimate rights of the Kashmiri people” in face of India’s seven-decades long illegal occupation and unabated oppression.

“Jammu and Kashmir was never a part of India, and never will be. It is an internationally recognised “disputed” territory between Pakistan and India that has been under forcible and illegal Indian occupation since 1947,” said the spokesperson.

“While perpetuating its tyranny and injustice, India will not succeed in misleading the international community by claiming socio-economic growth and development in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). No amount of repetition would turn a falsehood into truth,” said the FO.

Pakistan added that in the interest of justice, durable peace and security in South Asia, New Delhi must honour its commitment to Kashmiris and the world community by implementing the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions.

Indian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, while responding to OIC’s statement on the third anniversary of India’s August 5 action, said that New Delhi “categorically rejects OIC Secretariat’s unwarranted and narrow-minded comments”.

The Indian government claimed it accords “highest respect to all religions”, alleging that the OIC Secretariat had chosen “misleading and mischievous comments”. Bagchi had also accused the organisation of “pursuing” a “communal approach”.