MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava – File Pic
New Delhi: India on Thursday hit out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation over one of its contact groups discussing Kashmir, asserting that the grouping has no locus standi on matters strictly internal to the country.
Pakistan had on Monday urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to “step up its efforts” to resolve the Kashmir issue.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had made the remarks during a virtual meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir held “on the request of Pakistan”, according to the Pakistan Foreign Office.
Asked about the discussion by the OIC contact group, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “Our position is consistent on this matter and has no ambiguity. OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India, including that of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have in the past also reiterated that OIC should refrain from making unwarranted references on India.”
The Jeddah-headquartered bloc, which is the second-largest intergovernmental body after the UN, has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with Islamabad on the Kashmir issue.
Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5 last year and bifurcating it into two Union territories.
India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution was its internal matter.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 | |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |