His Excellency Ambassador Yousef Aldobeay, Assistant Secretary General and OIC Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir,

Foreign Ministers and Senior Officials from Brotherly Countries,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 
At the outset, let me express my profound gratitude for your participation in today’s meeting. Your gracious presence manifests the importance that you attach to the just struggle of the Kashmiri people for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination.

I am highly grateful to the Member States for their continued interest in this forum. We deeply value their support.  

I also wish to thank the Honorable Secretary General, his Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Yousef-Al-Dobeay, and their team at the OIC General Secretariat for their valuable contribution towards organizing this meeting.

Today’s meeting provides an important opportunity for reviewing the prevailing situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). I am confident that our deliberations will help us explore new ways and means to support the Kashmiri people.

Mr. Chairman,

Today’s meeting is taking place at an important juncture as our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Iran are facing Isarel’s relentless onslaught. Only last month, Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir were also attacked by India. The attacks by Israel and India set a dangerous precedent for unilateral aggression. In future, the arguments being extended by these aggressors could be exploited to launch attacks on other countries as well. In these challenging times, the Islamic unity and joint Islamic action are required more than ever.

Mr. Chairman,

The current Indian designs in Jammu and Kashmir are, in fact, a replication of the Israeli designs in Palestine. The script being enacted by Israel and India - in Palestine and Kashmir respectively - is essentially the same with particular reference to egregious human rights violations and blatantly illegal attempts to changing the demographics.

 
Both the situations are worsening and call for the urgent attention of the international community for a peaceful resolution, in accordance with the relevant UN Resolutions and aspirations of the local people. This attention, however, must not be aimed at legitimizing the status quo. Illegal and lopsided solutions cannot be unilaterally imposed. Only those solutions could bring the lasting peace, which are in conformity with the international law. The true peace is characterized by prevalence of justice, not absence of violence.
 
Mr. Chairman,
 
India attacked Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, without any verifiable evidence or a credible investigation into the Pahalgam Attack of 22 April 2025. It chose the path of belligerence and aggression despite an offer by the Prime Minister of Pakistan for a transparent and independent probe into this tragic incident. Most deplorably, India did not pay heed to the calls for restraint, made by the international community, including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
 
During the intervening night of 6 and 7 May 2025, India deliberately targeted the civilian areas on the false pretext of presence of terrorist infrastructure, resulting in the martyrdom of innocent men, women, and children. India’s unprovoked firing and shelling at the Line of Control also resulted in the loss of precious lives, houses and other assets.
 
In view of India’s unabated aggression, Pakistan was constrained to respond in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.  Our response, in the early hours of 10 May 2025, was mature, calibrated, restrained, and targeted only against military installations. The purpose of our action was to demonstrate our right, will and capability to defend our territory and people.
 
Mr. Chairman,
 
These disturbing developments have once again shown that a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is imperative for a lasting peace in South Asia. The region is home to over one-fifth of the world population. It could ill-afford the consequences of irresponsible Indian actions.
 
Today, Pakistan remains firmly committed to upholding the ceasefire and promoting an environment of regional stability. However, at a time when international efforts are being made for regional peace and stability, the statements emerging from India reflect an aggressive and belligerent approach. India is fabricating misleading narratives to justify aggression. These rhetorical statements must stop.
 
Mr. Chairman,

The Indian authorities exploited the Pahalgam Attack to launch a massive crackdown in IIOJK. There are reports that over 2800 Kashmiris were arrested or questioned in the immediate aftermath of the Attack. The draconian Public Safety Act was slapped on at least 75 of them. The Police carried out extensive searches at multiple residences of the locals. Around three dozen houses were razed to ground through the use of explosives.

Following a directive from the Central government, the authorities in IIOJK started deporting Pakistani nationals within their respective jurisdictions. It is reported that around 100 Pakistani nationals, (mostly women) were identified for deportation. The directive, inter alia, resulted in split of families and children being separated from their mothers.

There were reports of clashes with the Kashmiri students studying in India. In the first six days after the Pahalgam Attack, at least 17 incidents of intimidation or violence against Kashmiri students were reported in different Indian states.

The extremist elements in India spread anti-Kashmiri narratives in India, with Islamophobic undertones. We are grateful to the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission for issuing a strong statement, expressing deep concern over the alarming rise in Islamophobia, hate-motivated violence and targeted reprisal attacks in India and IIOJK in the aftermath of the Pahalgam Attack.

Mr. Chairman,

In the last 78 years, India has tried different methods to consolidate its occupation of the large parts of Jammu and Kashmir. However, an intensified campaign to “Indianize” Kashmir, and transform its people into a disempowered community, has been in full swing since 5 August 2019.

In last six years, the Indian authorities have taken a series of legislative, judicial and administrative steps, aimed at altering the demographic structure and political landscape of the IIOJK.

To crush dissent, the Indian authorities have created an environment of fear and intimidation in IIOJK. Draconian laws such as Public Safety Act (PSA), Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) offer impunity to the Indian forces to arrest or kill any person, and destroy any property. Since 5 August 2019, 990 Kashmiris have been killed. Another 2465 were injured or tortured. The number of political prisoners remains in thousands. Properties of Kashmiri activists are being confiscated as a punishment.

The Indian authorities have outlawed 16 political parties under a counterterrorism law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The office of All Parties Hurriyat Conference in Srinagar has also been seized.

Eid prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid have not been allowed for last seven consecutive years. Friday prayers at the Mosque are also prohibited at times. The chief cleric at the Mosque and a renowned Kashmiri leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, is intermittently placed under house arrest, denying him the opportunity to address important religious congregations.

There are curbs on media, which has been made to follow the official line through various coercive measures.

Mr. Chairman,

The international human rights organizations and civil society have extensively documented human rights violations in IIOJK. Amongst others, these human rights abuses have been documented by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in separate reports. A number of UN Special Procedures have also expressed concerns about different facets of this dismal situation.

Last year, the Human Rights Committee in Geneva made several important observations about the situation in IIOJK during the review of India’s fourth periodic report on implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Committee recommended that India should review its counter-terrorism laws for being non-compliant with the ICCPR. The Human Rights Committee also urged India to ensure that the counterterrorism legislation is not applied to crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists, peaceful protesters and political opponents.

Mr. Chairman,

India organized elections of its lower house of Parliament, Lok Sabha, and the so-called Legislative Assembly of the IIOJK in April-May and September-October 2024, respectively. While India claimed that such steps showed its commitment towards democratic norms, let me emphasize that any electoral exercise, pursuant to the Indian Constitution, cannot serve as a substitute to grant of the right to self-determination.

In the eyes of international law, any process, subservient to the Indian Constitution, cannot be invoked to determine the final status of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an internationally recognized disputed territory.

Mr. Chairman,

The Indian leaders have been making unwarranted claims about the territories of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan for some years. The frequency of these irresponsible statements has increased in the recent years.

While Pakistan is acting in a responsible manner and upholding the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian leaders’ irresponsible statements constitute a threat to regional peace. The international community, especially the members of this Contact Group, should take cognizance of such statements, which are also contrary to the UN Charter.

It could hardly be overemphasized that, for a lasting peace in South Asia, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute needs to be resolved in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Mr. Chairman,

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is an institutional embodiment of the collective aspirations of the Muslim Ummah. It has been raising its voice in support of different oppressed Muslims communities for decades.

The OIC’s pronouncements on Jammu and Kashmir are a major source of support to the Kashmir Cause. The resolution, adopted by the 50th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Yaoundé, is the latest testimony of the Organization’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. The people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir highly value such resolutions.  However, in view of the mounting challenges to the Kashmiri struggle, the OIC should transform its pronouncements into tangible actions. The Organization should scale up its efforts for mitigation of the Kashmiri people’s sufferings and finding a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The OIC and its Member States should use their influence to urge India to improve the human rights situation in IIOJK; release the political prisoners; repeal draconian emergency laws; remove military presence from populated areas; and implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Excellency,

We have circulated a draft Joint Communique for this meeting to all the members of the Contact Group. We have incorporated proposals received from other members.

It may kindly be adopted and issued.

I thank you all!

Islamabad
22 June 2025