Pakistan rejected India’s criticism of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) statement on the “illegal” abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) special status back in August 2019, describing New Delhi’s response as “deplorable” and “appalling.”
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “It is “astounding” that an “unabashed practitioner of ‘Hindutva’” was making the statement, particularly considering that India is “an established serial violator of human rights and purveyor of state-terrorism.”
🔊: PR NO. 3️⃣7️⃣0️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) August 7, 2022
Pakistan rejects the comments made by Spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)criticizing the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s statement on IIOJK
🔗⬇️https://t.co/g6d32cDi6a pic.twitter.com/2nr1kNJilF
The release reiterated Pakistan’s stand that Jammu and Kashmir “was never a part of India, and never will be.” It also highlighted that it was an “internationally recognised ‘disputed’ territory between Pakistan and India,” including by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
In this regard, the release said that India would not be successful in “misleading the international community” by its illegal actions done in the name of “socio-economic growth and development.”
Celebrating the OIC, the Pakistani release said that the group represents over 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide and has always supported the “legitimate rights of the Kashmiri people” that have been victimised by India’s “illegal occupation and unabated oppression.” It further added that the resolution of the J&K conflict is necessary for “peace and security in South Asia.”
Our response to media queries regarding OIC General Secretariat’s Press Release on Jammu & Kashmir: https://t.co/3RRsCjljxR pic.twitter.com/bpjDN6ZTdL
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) August 5, 2022
On Friday, the OIC General Secretariat published a statement rejecting India’s had introduced “unlawful measures including illegal demographic changes” in J&K since August 2019. It asserted that such actions could not change the region’s status. In this regard, the OIC reaffirmed its support for Kashmiris “in the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination” and called on the Indian government to respect the people’s “fundamental freedoms and basic human rights.”
Furthermore, it urged India to reverse “all illegal and unilateral measures taken on or after August 5, 2019.” The General Secretariat also called on the international community to ensure India’s compliance with the UNSC resolution.
In response, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the OIC’s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir “reek of bigotry.” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the region is an “integral and inalienable part of India” and “reaps the benefits of socio-economic growth and development.”
In a veiled reference to Pakistan, he said that the OIC’s comments were made at the “the behest of a serial violator of human rights and notorious promoter of cross-border, regional and international terrorism.” Hence, he added that the Commission is “devoted to a communal agenda” that is “being pursued through terrorism.”
calls for the respect of their fundamental #freedoms and basic #HumanRights and for the reversal of all illegal and unilateral measures taken on or after 5 August 2019.
— OIC (@OIC_OCI) August 4, 2022
After the August 2019 decision to declare J&K and Ladakh as separate Union Territories, the power of delimitation of both the Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies was declared to be governed by the Constitution.
As a result, India set up a Delimitation Commission that would look into a variety of factors and reorganise political constituencies in the region. India has also been planning on hosting international events in Kashmir during its upcoming G20 presidency, which Pakistan has said is a bid to secure international recognition for illegal claims.