Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh integral parts of India, says India while rejecting OIC reference on J&K situation

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 19 (STC): India today strongly rejected the resolution passed by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that Pakistan has misused the organisation to further its partisan agenda.
The Ministry of External Affairs has termed the references made against India in the OIC resolutions as malicious, biased and baseless. In a strong statement, the Ministry has said that New Delhi categorically rejects the references against India included in the resolutions passed at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Council meeting held in Baghdad on October 17 and 18.
“These references against India have been orchestrated by Pakistan and are aimed at distorting the facts and creating a negative impression against India at the international level,” reads the statement. The Ministry has expressed regret that the OIC has once again allowed itself to be used for Pakistan’s biased agenda. The statement said that any international organization should refrain from making unnecessary comments on the internal affairs of a country.
The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. The ministry said that politically motivated propaganda cannot change this reality in any way. The statement further said that the OIC has no legal or legitimate authority to comment on India’s internal affairs. New Delhi strongly objected to the organization’s raising of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, saying that such statements appear to be motivated by political motives rather than facts.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that after the abrogation of Article 370, several opportunities for economic development have emerged in Jammu and Kashmir over the past years and the people have directly benefited through the construction of infrastructure, promotion of tourism and improvement in connectivity. According to the ministry, the tourism sector has also been boosted along with the development of roads, connectivity and other basic facilities in the region, which has boosted the local economy. India compared these development activities with the situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that violence, repression and harsh actions have been taken against civilian protesters there, in which many people, including women and children, have lost their lives.
The Ministry of External Affairs claimed that even restrictions on the media to cover up serious human rights violations in Pakistan-administered areas could not completely hide these incidents. The Ministry of External Affairs said in its statement that only two cases related to Jammu and Kashmir have been reported. There are issues that remain to be resolved. These include Pakistan’s withdrawal from areas that India claims are illegally and forcibly occupied, while the second issue is Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism.
The statement said that such allegations are an attempt by Pakistan to divert the attention of the international community from the alleged mistreatment of minorities in its country, religious intolerance and sectarian violence.
The Ministry of External Affairs alleged that the OIC’s repeated support for Pakistan’s narrative and alleged malicious propaganda raises serious questions about the credibility, impartiality and integrity of the organization.
Lastly, India expressed the hope that the OIC member states would review the role and conduct of the organization and make it more inclusive. “We will consider reforms to create a responsible and effective institution,” reads the statement.
(Straight Talk Communications)