Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Secretary General meets Kashmiri leaders

Islamabad, August 06, 2014 (PPI-OT): OIC Secretary General, Iyad Ameen Madani, currently on a 3-day visit to Pakistan, met AJK Government and Kashmiri leaders over a lunch hosted in his honour, yesterday (5 August) in Islamabad.

In their welcome addresses, President and Prime Minister of AJK expressed gratitude to the OIC Secretary-General for the Organization’s consistent support for the people of Kashmir over the past two decades in their struggle for self-determination.

The Secretary-General of the OIC called for an early resolution of the Kashmir dispute through peaceful negotiations. He underlined the need for India’s engagement with Pakistan through a dialogue process towards a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue.

The Secretary-General urged India to adopt the same approach on Kashmir as it had done for the Crimea. The Secretary-General reassured OIC’s continued support to the people of Kashmir till the resolution of the issue in accordance with their wishes.

In his meeting with the Kashmiri leaders, the Secretary-General took cognizance of their concerns over the atrocities being committed by the Indian Security Forces with impunity. The Kashmiri leaders stressed that any sham elections held by India could never be a replacement of the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.

They called for drawing a distinction between movement for freedom from foreign occupation and secession. The Secretary-General was also given a detailed briefing by the AJK government on the status of numerous ongoing developmental projects that were being funded by the OIC and its affiliated bodies for the uplift of the people of AJK.

For more information, contact:
Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Ch
Spokesman
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government of Pakistan
Tell: +92-51-9205494
Fax: +92-51-9204202
Cell: +92-336-5644459