Pakistan on Friday rejected what it called “baseless and unwarranted assertions” by India’s foreign ministry over the OIC Kashmir resolutions adopted at the 52nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad, as the Foreign Office also raised alarm over an eviction notice issued to a historic mosque in New Delhi.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan, speaking at the weekly press briefing in Islamabad, said the resolutions reflected the collective and longstanding position of member states on the Kashmir dispute.
OIC Kashmir resolutions grounded in UN resolutions, says FO
The spokesperson said the OIC’s position was firmly grounded in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“The organisation’s continued principled support is an important reaffirmation that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains an internationally recognised dispute,” he said.
The OIC session in Baghdad on October 17 and 18 adopted resolutions that called on the international community, including the UN Security Council, to take effective measures to implement the relevant resolutions on Kashmir. India responded on October 19, with its Ministry of External Affairs saying it “categorically” rejected the references to Jammu and Kashmir and calling them “malicious, biased and false, and orchestrated by Pakistan”.
New Delhi also said the OIC had “no locus standi whatsoever” to comment on matters it considers strictly internal, and described Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as integral parts of India.
FO flags eviction notice to Delhi’s Race Course Mosque
The spokesperson expressed grave concern over what he described as “yet another” eviction notice issued to a historic mosque in the Indian capital. He said the Race Course Mosque was a Waqf property and a heritage site facing the threat of demolition under the BJP government.
“The measure exemplifies worsening Islamophobia in India,” he said. Pakistan called upon the international community to take notice of incidents involving the demolition of places of worship, including those belonging to Muslims, and urged Indian authorities to desist from discriminatory measures.
Dar’s Istanbul visit and other diplomatic engagements
The briefing also covered Pakistan’s recent diplomatic calendar. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has travelled to Istanbul for the first meeting of foreign ministers from the Regional Four group and a wider session with European counterparts, a visit Feature Pakistan covered earlier on Friday in Ishaq Dar’s Istanbul trip for the R-4 and European ministerial meetings.
The spokesperson said Dar had held telephone conversations with his Egyptian and Iranian counterparts on October 18 to discuss regional developments. Dar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi exchanged views on the OIC ministerial session in Baghdad, while Dar and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty condemned Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia. Pakistan’s position on those attacks was detailed in our earlier reporting on Houthi claims against Saudi defence sites.
He also noted Dar’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe on October 19 and 20, and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s state visit to Pakistan from October 20 to 22, the first by a Maldivian president in 11 years, which produced 20 agreements and memorandums of understanding.
On the European front, the spokesperson said President Asif Ali Zardari was on an official visit to Germany from October 22 to 24, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Pakistan also held the 10th round of its counterterrorism dialogue with the European Union in Islamabad on October 22, where the EU condemned recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan and acknowledged the country’s counterterrorism efforts.
Separately, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and Indonesia signed the Badr multilateral memorandum of understanding in Doha on October 21 to strengthen cooperation in defence industries, covering manufacturing, technical training, research and development and industrial capacity-building.
Frequently asked questions
What did Pakistan’s Foreign Office say about the OIC resolutions?
The FO spokesperson rejected India’s criticism as “baseless and unwarranted”, saying the resolutions adopted at the 52nd OIC foreign ministers’ session in Baghdad reflected the collective position of member states and were grounded in UN Security Council resolutions.
What is the Race Course Mosque issue?
Pakistan says the historic Race Course Mosque in New Delhi, a Waqf property and heritage site, has received an eviction notice and faces demolition. The FO described the move as an example of worsening Islamophobia in India and urged the international community to take notice.
