India has firmly rejected the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group’s latest references to Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the grouping has no authority to comment on issues that fall entirely within India’s internal jurisdiction. New Delhi also questioned the credibility of the OIC for repeatedly backing what it described as politically motivated narratives promoted by Pakistan.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday strongly objected to comments on Jammu and Kashmir made by the OIC Contact Group during its meeting in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
India made it clear that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter and that the OIC has no standing to pronounce on it. The MEA described the group’s references to the region as unwarranted and factually incorrect.
Reiterating India's longstanding position, the ministry said the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country. It rejected any attempt by an external grouping to question India's sovereignty or comment on matters falling within its domestic jurisdiction.
The MEA also advised the OIC to reconsider the approach it has adopted towards Pakistan. Rather than providing a platform for what India considers to be Pakistan-driven narratives, the grouping would be better advised to counsel Islamabad, New Delhi said.
The latest remarks came after the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir held a meeting in New York in connection with the ongoing UN General Assembly session. The group has previously raised the Kashmir issue at international forums, drawing repeated objections from India.
New Delhi also took aim at what it described as the OIC’s repeated endorsement of politically motivated narratives. According to the MEA, continued promotion of such claims raises questions about the credibility of the organisation itself.
India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and has rejected attempts by third parties to intervene. New Delhi has also repeatedly maintained that any discussion on the region must take into account the realities of terrorism and cross-border violence.
The latest diplomatic exchange therefore reflects the continuing divide between India's position and that of the OIC on Jammu and Kashmir, with New Delhi once again making clear that it will oppose external intervention on matters it regards as strictly internal.
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