Hissein Brahim Taha, secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), has stated that Kashmir is a top priority for the OIC and that he will provide member nations with a comprehensive assessment report on the human rights situation in Kashmir.
Following a meeting with Mehmood as well as the prime minister and a brief visit along the Line of Control (LoC) and refugee camps, he made these remarks during a joint news conference with Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry on Sunday at the Presidency.
He stated that he was in AJK in accordance with the resolutions that the OIC contact group on Kashmir had adopted to assess the situation, that he would like to request permission from India to visit the other side of the Line of Control, and that the second purpose of his visit was to show solidarity with the people of Kashmir, who had been suffering for a long time, and to reassure them that the OIC, which is a Muslim community, was constantly working to find a solution to their problem in consultation with the
He said that during his entire day-long trip to AJK, he talked to people who had been hurt by Indian firing along the Line of Control and with refugees who had fled from the Indian side of Kashmir because of the atrocities. He wanted to know about their problems and pain so that he could include it in his assessment report.
In response to a question, Taha stated that as the organization’s secretary general, it was his responsibility to discuss this matter with all partners and stakeholders and find a solution to the problem’s long-standing nature.
In response to questions during the press conference, Taha stated, “My duty is only to inform the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) about the situation, and thereafter they will find or suggest further line of action.” However, “the most important thing is to find a solution to this long-standing issue, and for this purpose, I will also contact India.”
He thanked the president of the AJK for hosting his visit.
Prior to welcoming the secretary general, the president of AJK referred to the visit of the OIC chief as “a big day” for the Kashmiri people and said that it was a source of encouragement for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehmood stated that he had previously met with the secretary general three times. He went on to say that he met him three times, once at a summit conference in March of last year, once in Jeddah in April, and once in Washington and New York on the occasion of the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). All of them found him to be very sympathetic toward the Kashmiri people.
Mehmood stated that he informed the OIC chief on International Human Rights Day of the gross violations of human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He also stated that the secretary general had always supported the right of the people of Kashmir to self-determination.
