Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of separatist Hurriyat Conference alliance, who is in New York, has asked the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to develop a partnership with different forums and institutions across the world to evolve an international consensus towards resolving Kashmir.
(The meet reaffirmed its “principled support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the realisation of their “legitimate right to self-determination, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and their aspiration”, a statement issued by the OIC said. It added, the meet emphasised the need for full respect of human rights as well as the importance of taking all requisite steps to provide relief and comfort to the Kashmiris. It further called upon India to allow international human rights groups and humanitarian organisations to visit Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting also commended the “efforts” of Pakistan and its “readiness” to engage with India to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and urged the international community to play its due role to settle this long-standing dispute on UN agenda for the overall improvement of the relations between the two South Asian countries as well as to promote regional peace and stability.)
While addressing a meeting of the OIC’s contact group on Kashmir, held on the sidelines of the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, the Mirwaiz expressed his gratitude for showing “determined support to the Kashmir cause”. He said, “I thank them for adopting numerous resolutions in support of our genuine aspirations.” He termed the Indian government’s decision not to allow the “fact-finding mission” of the 57-member group of Islamic nations visit Jammu and Kashmir as “regrettable”. He said, “This behaviour of the Indian state is a self speaking testimony of its stubbornness.”
He said he had come all the way to the meet with the message of his people “who have remained victims of international neglect and double standards of the powerful nations”.