Islamabad, 11 Oct 2023:In an unequivocal display of solidarity, Special Envoy to OIC Secretary General on Kashmir, Yousef M Al Dobeay, expressed steadfast support for the Kashmiri people and their pursuit for the right to self-determination. Addressing a joint news conference alongside Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, post their meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday, the special envoy vowed continual advocacy for the Kashmiri plight at every pertinent forum and reiterated the OIC’s stern condemnation of India’s actions dating back to August 5, 2019, urging the rescission of these steps.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MOIB), Al Dobeay outlined that the OIC stands in unity with the Kashmiri people, condemning the actions taken by India in 2019 and insisting upon their reversal. During his visit, Al Dobeay is scheduled to meet with leadership across Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, traverse to the LOC, receive a comprehensive briefing on the ground realities, and engage with Kashmiri representatives to accrue a more profound understanding of their circumstances and struggles.
Foreign Secretary Qazi, expressing deep gratitude towards the OIC for its unwavering support for the Kashmir cause, underscored the severity of the situation in the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He pointed to the Indian leadership’s persistent endeavors to perpetuate the occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting that the entirety of the Hurriyat leadership and around four thousand political activists and human rights defenders have been arbitrarily incarcerated over recent years. Furthermore, Qazi commented on the illegal and unilateral steps initiated on August 5, 2019, declaring their ultimate objective to render Kashmiris a disempowered minority in their homeland. He expressed hope that the timely and full implementation of decisions under OIC resolutions and the action plan adopted by the Contact Group will pave the way towards alleviating the suffering of the Kashmiri people and finding a sustainable resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.