India on Thursday asked the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation not to allow itself to be hijacked by Pakistan in order to interfere in India’s internal affairs, reported The Hindu. This came hours after the OIC announced that it has proposed to assist dialogue between India and Pakistan, and send a delegation to Kashmir.
At a meeting between OIC Secretary General Yousef Al-Othaimeen and Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ausaf Sayeed on July 5, the two “reviewed a number of issues concerning the situation of Muslims in India, along with the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and relevant UN and OIC resolutions opposing any unilateral actions on the issue”.
“Our ambassador conveyed the need to correct some of the misperceptions about India that are perpetrated by vested interests in the OIC,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. “Further, the OIC should be watchful that their platform is not subverted by these vested interests for comments on internal affairs of India or for anti-India propaganda through biased and one-sided resolutions.”
Bagchi confirmed that the meeting between Al-Othaimeen and Sayeed was requested by the secretary general of the OIC. This came at a time when there are reports that the United Arab Emirates is trying to moderate discussions between India and Pakistan.
“The Secretary General also asked about the possibility of a meeting between Pakistan and India, stating that the General Secretariat stands ready to assist if the two parties so request,” read a press statement from the OIC.
During the meeting, Al-Othaimeen proposed to send a delegation to Kashmir “with relevant resolutions of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers”. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, however, did not respond to a question on whether India would consider the OIC’s proposal, according to The Tribune.
Last year, India had rejected the resolutions adopted by OIC and its criticism of New Delhi’s Jammu and Kashmir policy. Without naming Pakistan, the foreign ministry alleged that the organisation of Muslim-majority nations was being used by a certain country for a campaign against India.
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