OIC Contact Group asks UN to halt rights violations in IIOJK

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir met an informal meeting in New York today to discuss the worsening human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The OIC contact group met an informal meeting in New York at the request of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The Permanent Representatives of Pakistan, Ambassador Munir and the Permanent Representatives of Saudi Arabia, Niger, Azerbaijan and OIC Observer Mission attended the meeting.

Members of the Contact Group reviewed recent developments relating to Jammu and Kashmir, including the grave human rights and humanitarian situation in IIOJK and the tensions along the LoC.

Reaffirming the OIC’s principled position on the issue, all members of the Contact Group spoke and expressed deep concern at the continued violations by India of the fundamental human rights in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The Contact Group also asked the UN Secretary-General, the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council to call on India to halt the human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, rescind the unilateral and illegal measures taken on and after 5 August 2019.

Conveying the special message of the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Ambassador Munir Akram said that the RSS-BJP regime in India was engaged in systematically engineering a demographic change in IIOJK through new domicile rules.

The issuance of 1.6 million domicile certificates (since March) was meant to change the demography of IIOJK from a Muslim majority into Hindu majority territory. In another attempt to obliterate the Muslim identity of occupied Jammu and Kashmir the status of Urdu language was being changed under new legislation, he added.

“Hundreds of young Kashmiris were extra-judicially killed in “fake encounters” and “cordon and search” operations while the Indian security forces continued to enjoy complete impunity under black laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act (APSPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA),” he said while quoting the foreign minister.

The foreign minister in his special message also sensitized the Contact Group that India had intensified its belligerent rhetoric against Pakistan, including threats of military aggression, added Munir Akram.

In 2020 alone, India had so far committed over 2200 ceasefire violations. There was a tangible threat of further escalation as India might conduct another “false flag” operation to justify renewed aggression against Pakistan, posing a serious threat to regional peace and security, he added.

FM Qureshi emphasized that it was imperative for India to immediately lift its inhumane military siege and rescind illegal actions taken since 05 August; remove restrictions on communications, movement and peaceful assembly; release incarcerated political leaders.

The foreign minister also demanded Indian to free arbitrarily detained Kashmiris; reverse new domicile rules; remove draconian security laws; prosecute military and civilian personnel involved in massive human rights violations and allow unhindered access to the OIC, IPHRC and UN Fact-Finding Missions to investigate the human rights violations in IIOJK.