OIC FMs resolution on Kashmir no more than lip-service

The resolution adopted by the OIC foreign ministers at their Niamey (Niger) meeting on Saturday (November 28) appears to be well-worded and encouraging but in essence is nothing more than lip-service to the Kashmir cause. It will bring no relief to the millions of beleaguered people of Occupied Kashmir as it fails to come up with any practical steps against India, the culprit that has deprived the Kashmiris of their constitutional rights and has a comprehensive strategy to make them completely helpless in all matters in times ahead.

If 57 OIC countries take practical measures against India, ignoring their commercial interests for some time for the sake of a greater cause, New Delhi can be brought to its knees. But expecting a united action from the so-called Ummah is no more than self-deception.

Many say that the countries that failed to pursue a united line of action even for the Palestine cause and have made no efforts for the liberation of Bait Al-Maqdas cannot be expected to do anything for the Kashmiris. 

For influential OIC countries commercial interests are more important than anything else. And the ones that are dying to establish diplomatic ties even with enemy Israel will never take any step against tyrant India for the sake of Pakistan or the Kashmiris.  

Interestingly, the resolution adopted at Niamey, said that the question of Kashmir was of utmost importance for the “Ummah”. 

The OIC recognized that Jammu and Kashmir is the core dispute between Pakistan and India, and its resolution indispensable for realization of the dream of peace in South Asia.

The resolution noted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the principal party to the dispute, and stressed that they should be included in any peace process for resolution of the dispute.

It affirmed that any political or electoral process held under foreign occupation cannot be a substitute to the exercise of the right to self-determination. 

(Pakistan has already said that Kashmiris would be party to the talks in future, but India is not willing to give Kashmiris any role. Tensions between both the nuclear powers are very high and because of serious differences between them there is possibility of them sharing the table in the foreseeable future). 

The OIC categorically rejected illegal and unilateral actions taken by India on Aug 5 last year to change the internationally recognized disputed status of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and demanded India rescind its illegal steps. 

It asked India to cancel the issuance of domicile certificates to non-Kashmiris as well as other unilateral and illegal actions. 

The OIC urged the international community to review its engagements with India as it was violating and disregarding the international law, the international humanitarian law, and international resolutions. 

Observers say it is ridiculous to expect the world community to do something that the Muslim countries failed to. 

Many Muslim countries are not only in constant contact with the Hindu leadership but are trying to strengthen the ties to be able to reap more financial benefits. 

Rejecting policies being pursued by the RSS-BJP regime, the 57 member countries of the OIC asked India to refrain from taking any steps to alter the demographic structure of the disputed territory. 

(Needless to recall that India gives no importance whatsoever to such toothless statements and is doing whatever it deems fit despite similar statements issued by the same bloc in the past).  

The OIC foreign ministers condemned in the strongest possible terms human rights’ violations perpetrated by Indian occupation forces in held 

Kashmir, and other such instances of terrorism that have been the source of unspeakable suffering for the innocent Kashmiri people. 

The PTI government can claim credit for tabling a resolution against the growing trend of Islamophobia- that was adopted by the participants.  

However, it is regrettable that the OIC did not take a united stand against France for publishing caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).