The Ministers and Senior Officials of the Member States of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir met on September 25, 2024 on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha chaired the meeting.
The OIC Contact Group on Kashmir Meeting heard the report from the OIC General Secretariat and Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (OIC-IPHRC), the briefing from the Defence Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif, the views of the Senior Officials of other Member States of the Contact Group as well as the True Representatives of the Kashmiri People on the latest developments in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The meeting reaffirmed the inalienable right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
It also reaffirmed the earlier OIC pronouncements and resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
The meeting reiterated the contents of the Joint Communiques issued by the meetings of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir held on September 25, 2019; June 22, 2020; September 23, 2021; March 22, 2022; September 21, 2022; March 17, 2023; and September 20, 2023.
The meeting recalled the two reports issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in June 2018 and July 2019, comprehensively documenting the gross and systematic violations of human rights in IIOJK.
It welcomed the role played by the relevant UN Special Rapporteurs, world leaders, parliamentarians, human rights organizations and international media in raising their voice against the human rights violations in IIOJK.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held a meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, 25 September 2024. pic.twitter.com/r5iswPUlWV
— OIC (@OIC_OCI) September 26, 2024
The Ministers and Senior Officials reaffirmed their support for the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
They emphasized that durable peace and stability in South Asia remain contingent upon the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
They reiterated their rejection of the illegal and unilateral actions taken by India on August 5, 2019 as well as the subsequent steps, aimed at undermining the internationally-recognized disputed status of the IIOJK and altering its demographic structure and political landscape.
They rejected the Indian Supreme Court’s judgement of December 11, 2023 on the status of IIOJK, emphasizing that domestic legislation and judicial verdicts cannot be invoked to undermine the internationally-recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.
They condemned the protracted detention of the Hurriyat leadership, the genuine voice of the Kashmiri political aspirations, and thousands of political activists and dissenters.
The Ministers and Senior Officials of the Member States of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir also condemned the banning of a number of Kashmiri political parties and the ongoing campaign to confiscate the properties of the Kashmiri activists, to suppress dissent and intimidate the local population.
They denounced the Indian authorities’ plea seeking death penalty for one of the most prominent Kashmiri leaders Yaseen Malik who was awarded a life sentence in 2022, and demanded his immediate acquittal and release.
Furthermore, they denounced India’s continued refusal to allow the OIC Special Envoy, the OIC- Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), the UN Special Mandate Holders and international civil society organizations to visit IIOJK.
They underscored that the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly elections in IIOJK cannot serve as a substitute to the grant of the right to self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
They urged India to end the human rights violations being committed by its forces in the IIOJK.
The Ministers and Senior Officials expressed serious concern over the statements from the Indian leaders, asserting unwarranted claims over Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
They Requested the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue monitoring the situation in IIOJK and issue a third report, in addition to its reports of 2018 and 2019, on the ongoing human rights violations there.
They requested the Secretary General and OIC Member States to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people at various international fora including the United Nations.
In addition, thye directed their respective Permanent Representatives in New York and Geneva to regularly brief the UN Secretary General, the Presidents of the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the developments in IIOJK.
They directed the OIC Observer Missions in New York and Geneva to send a copy of this Joint Communiqué to all member states, the UN Secretary General and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; and demanded that India:
- reverse all illegal and unilateral measures taken on or after 5 August 2019, aimed at altering the demographic structure and political landscape of IIOJK;
- stop human rights violations in the IIOJK,
- release all Kashmiri political prisoners and lift the ban on all outlawed Kashmiri political parties,
- repeal all restrictive and draconian laws such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Public Safety Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,
- allow unrestricted access to UN Special Procedures, OIC and IPHRC fact-finding missions, international media and independent observers to visit IIOJK, and
- implement the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
