Islamabad, Nov 26 (UNI) The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers two-day meeting to be held in Niamey the capital of Niger will not be including the Kashmir issue in its agenda, something that the Pakistan government was hoping to raise at the forum.
This was revealed in the statements issued by the OIC which made no mention of Kashmir in the agenda announced in Riyadh, Dawn reported.
The statement by the OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen stated that the meeting would discuss the Palestinian cause, the fight against violence, extremism and terrorism, Islamophobia and defamation of religion, the situation of Muslim minorities and communities in non-member states, fundraising for the Rohingya case at the International Court of Justice, as well as the promotion of dialogue among civilisations, cultures and religions, and other emerging matters.
But the Kashmir issue did not find any mention in its list of topics that will be taken up for discussion.
The agenda of the Niamey meeting also includes discussion on the political, humanitarian, economic, social and cultural and other issues related to science and technology, the media and the progress made in the implementation of the “OIC-2025: Plan of Action” document.
It would, moreover, feature a brainstorming session on “Security and Humanitarian Challenges Confronting African Sahel States Members of the OIC”.
Pakistan has been demanding a special meeting of the OIC foreign ministers on the Kashmir issue. The meeting has not been convened so far because the Saudis, who wield a virtual veto in the 57-member bloc of Muslim countries, have not supported Islamabad’s move.
This latest omission of Kashmir from the agenda of the regular foreign ministers’ meeting of the OIC comes at a time when ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia/UAE remain strained over what Pakistani diplomats say are “unfulfilled expectations”.
Pakistani request for a meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Kashmir was also declined by the host on the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic.
