OIC appoints envoy on Kashmir.
New York, September 30 : Organization of Islamic Conference, an international organisation with a permanent delegation to the United Nations, has appointed a special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir, a Hurriyat Conference spokesman said in Srinagar on Tuesday. In a statement, the spokesman said that OIC appointed Abdullah Bin Adbul Rahman Al Bakr as the special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir.
Calling for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute as soon as possible, a Foreign ministerial-level panel of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Monday regretted that India had put a pause on the dialogue with Pakistan.
The OIC Contact Group, which met on the sidelines of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly on Monday, welcomed the meeting between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan at Sharm el Sheikh, saying dialogue between the two countries was the only way forward. The contact group adopted a declaration, taking note of India's statement after the Sharm el Sheikh meeting that it was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir. The declaration called for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and as agreed upon in the 1972 Simla Agreement. The group, chaired by OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, called for an annual review of development in the decades-old Kashmir dispute, daily times report said.
In his inaugural address, the OIC secretary general expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people and hoped that peace process between India and Pakistan would resume soon and yield the desired results.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, All-Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Kashmiri-American Council Executive Director Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai and ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and Niger were also present.
Durable peace: "We believe that a settlement of this long festering dispute can help establish durable peace in the region," Qureshi said in a speech. "It can also open numerous vistas of mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and India.” Recalling previous OIC and relevant UN resolutions, the contact group urged India and Pakistan to expeditiously resolve all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir. The declaration also urged the international community to take effective steps for safeguarding the rights of the Kashmiri people, including the right to self-determination. Addressing the contact group, Qureshi said the Kashmiri people continued to demand their basic right to self-determination even after 60 years. "For years, Pakistan, the OIC, and the international community, have expressed concerns on the consistent violation of human rights of the Kashmiri people," he said. The FM said the government and people of Pakistan stood by the Kashmiri people. "As in the past, we condemn the use of force and demand respect for human rights of the people of Kashmir The move comes, he said, on the culmination of a successful meeting of the OIC contact group on Kashmir which was attended by Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria besides Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Yaqoob.
Chairman of the amalgam, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, represented Kashmir in the meeting chaired by secretary general OIC.
The spokesman said that speakers emphasized need for resolution of Kashmir issue for peace in the entire south Asia.
In his address to the meeting, Mirwaiz Umar urged OIC to send a peace mission to Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad and New Delhi besides, using its offices to persuade India to resolve the Kashmir issue.
“On behalf of the people of Kashmir, I appeal to you to send a Peace Mission of the OIC to visit the both sides of the Cease-fire Line as well as New Delhi and Islamabad to create an atmosphere of mutual trust,” Mirwaiz urged the contact group during the meeting in New York.
The amalgam chairman, according to the spokesman also counted some of the urgent steps to be taken to help put the issue of Kashmir on the road to a settlement.
He underlined need for demilitarization and said, “It might be necessary to make the demilitarization of Kashmir the first step towards the reduction of Indian forces.”
Mirwaiz among other things, called for allowing the people of Kashmir to freely express their political views.
“Release all political prisoners, repealing draconian laws including Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Disturbed Areas Act and others, Gradual withdrawal of the troops from Kashmir, can mark as the beginning,” Mirwaiz added.
Dismantling bunkers from the villages and towns and allowing Kashmiri political leaders to travel abroad freely can also lead to forward movement.
“If peaceful method of resistance is crushed by India using brute force then they are again pushing the youth towards violence,” he added.
New York, September 30 : Organization of Islamic Conference, an international organisation with a permanent delegation to the United Nations, has appointed a special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir, a Hurriyat Conference spokesman said in Srinagar on Tuesday. In a statement, the spokesman said that OIC appointed Abdullah Bin Adbul Rahman Al Bakr as the special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir.
Calling for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute as soon as possible, a Foreign ministerial-level panel of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Monday regretted that India had put a pause on the dialogue with Pakistan.
The OIC Contact Group, which met on the sidelines of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly on Monday, welcomed the meeting between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan at Sharm el Sheikh, saying dialogue between the two countries was the only way forward. The contact group adopted a declaration, taking note of India's statement after the Sharm el Sheikh meeting that it was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir. The declaration called for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and as agreed upon in the 1972 Simla Agreement. The group, chaired by OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, called for an annual review of development in the decades-old Kashmir dispute, daily times report said.
In his inaugural address, the OIC secretary general expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people and hoped that peace process between India and Pakistan would resume soon and yield the desired results.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, All-Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Kashmiri-American Council Executive Director Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai and ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and Niger were also present.
Durable peace: "We believe that a settlement of this long festering dispute can help establish durable peace in the region," Qureshi said in a speech. "It can also open numerous vistas of mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and India.” Recalling previous OIC and relevant UN resolutions, the contact group urged India and Pakistan to expeditiously resolve all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir. The declaration also urged the international community to take effective steps for safeguarding the rights of the Kashmiri people, including the right to self-determination. Addressing the contact group, Qureshi said the Kashmiri people continued to demand their basic right to self-determination even after 60 years. "For years, Pakistan, the OIC, and the international community, have expressed concerns on the consistent violation of human rights of the Kashmiri people," he said. The FM said the government and people of Pakistan stood by the Kashmiri people. "As in the past, we condemn the use of force and demand respect for human rights of the people of Kashmir The move comes, he said, on the culmination of a successful meeting of the OIC contact group on Kashmir which was attended by Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria besides Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Yaqoob.
Chairman of the amalgam, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, represented Kashmir in the meeting chaired by secretary general OIC.
The spokesman said that speakers emphasized need for resolution of Kashmir issue for peace in the entire south Asia.
In his address to the meeting, Mirwaiz Umar urged OIC to send a peace mission to Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad and New Delhi besides, using its offices to persuade India to resolve the Kashmir issue.
“On behalf of the people of Kashmir, I appeal to you to send a Peace Mission of the OIC to visit the both sides of the Cease-fire Line as well as New Delhi and Islamabad to create an atmosphere of mutual trust,” Mirwaiz urged the contact group during the meeting in New York.
The amalgam chairman, according to the spokesman also counted some of the urgent steps to be taken to help put the issue of Kashmir on the road to a settlement.
He underlined need for demilitarization and said, “It might be necessary to make the demilitarization of Kashmir the first step towards the reduction of Indian forces.”
Mirwaiz among other things, called for allowing the people of Kashmir to freely express their political views.
“Release all political prisoners, repealing draconian laws including Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Disturbed Areas Act and others, Gradual withdrawal of the troops from Kashmir, can mark as the beginning,” Mirwaiz added.
Dismantling bunkers from the villages and towns and allowing Kashmiri political leaders to travel abroad freely can also lead to forward movement.
“If peaceful method of resistance is crushed by India using brute force then they are again pushing the youth towards violence,” he added.
