Kashmir Issue omitted from the agenda of OIC Foreign Ministers' meeting

ISLAMABAD: The Kashmir dispute has not been included in the agenda of the two-day meeting for foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) being held in Niger’s capital Niamey on Friday.

Statements from the OIC, made in both English and Arabic, made no specific mention of the Kashmir Issue in its agenda.

Secretary General of the OIC, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen stated in the official statement that the meeting would discuss the Palestinian cause, the fight against violence, extremism, terrorism, Islamophobia and religious defamation, in addition to the situation of Muslim minorities and communities in non-member states, fundraising for the Rohingya case at the International Court of Justice, among other emerging matters.

The agenda of the meeting also includes a comprehensive discussion on the political, humanitarian, economic, social and cultural issues, and the progress made in the implementation of the OIC 2025: Plan of Action; featuring a brainstorming session on "Security and Humanitarian Challenges Confronting African Sahel States Members of the OIC.

It has also been reported that Pakistan's request for a meeting of the contact group on the Kashmir Issue has also been declined. Since the Abrogation of Article-370 and the annexation of Occupied Kashmir by India, Pakistan has been demanding a special meeting of the OIC foreign ministers on the dispute, with Saudi Arabia (which wields a virtual VETO in the 57-nation Muslim bloc) has not endorsed Islamabad's move.

This latest omission of Kashmir from the OIC agenda is reflective of the strained relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia/UAE, especially in light of their gravitation towards establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi left Islamabad on Wednesday to participate in the OIC meeting.