OIC panel calls for early settlement of Kashmir dispute

UNITED NATIONS: Calling for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute as soon as possible, a ministerial-level panel of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Monday regretted that India had put a "pause" on the dialogue with Pakistan. The OIC Contact Group, which met on the sidelines of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly on Monday, welcomed the meeting between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan at Sharm el Sheikh, saying dialogue between the two countries was the only way forward. The contact group adopted a declaration, taking note of India's statement after the Sharm el Sheikh meeting that it was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir. The declaration called for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute "in accordance with UN resolutions and as agreed upon in the 1972 Simla Agreement". The group, chaired by OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, called for an annual review of development in the decades-old Kashmir dispute.In his inaugural address, the OIC secretary general expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people and hoped that peace process between India and Pakistan would resume soon and yield the desired results.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, All-Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Kashmiri-American Council Executive Director Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai and ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and Niger were also present.Durable peace: "We believe that a settlement of this long festering dispute can help establish durable peace in the region," Qureshi said in a speech. "It can also open numerous vistas of mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and India.” Recalling previous OIC and relevant UN resolutions, the contact group urged India and Pakistan to "expeditiously resolve all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir". The declaration also urged the international community to take "effective steps" for safeguarding the rights of the Kashmiri people, including the right to self-determination. Addressing the contact group, Qureshi said the Kashmiri people continued to demand their basic right to self-determination even after 60 years. "For years, Pakistan, the OIC, and the international community, have expressed concerns on the consistent violation of human rights of the Kashmiri people," he said. The FM said the government and people of Pakistan stood by the Kashmiri people. "As in the past, we condemn the use of force and demand respect for human rights of the people of Kashmir.”