Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Speakers at a seminar at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) secretariat here expressed their grave concern over the plight of Kashmiris in the Indian-occupied state of Jammu and Kashmir. A photo exhibition on Kashmir titled "Kashmir: Blood, Cries and Tears" was also held on the sidelines of the seminar. A large number of diplomats and Pakistani community representatives attended the event where OIC secretary general's representative on Kashmir and Assistant Secretary General Yousaf Bin Muhammad Al-Zabeay was the chief guest. President of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan said Kashmir was one of the oldest issues on the UN agenda and it still remains unresolved. "As we gather here, our brothers and sisters living in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have spent more than 100 days under a crushing curfew and media blackout imposed upon them by Indian occupation forces after the illegal and unilateral action of Aug. 5 (Scraping of the special status of the state). Human rights violations in the occupied Jammu & Kashmir continue unabated, he said. "This high handedness by Indian Occupation Forces has turned Kashmir into the largest prison in the world." Sardar Masood said that in these testing times the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir look to their Muslim brothers and sisters for support. The support extended to them by the OIC is not only instrumental in effectively projecting the Kashmiri cause but also a source of hope and strength for the Kashmiri people. He said that Kashmiri Muslims are being targeted because they are Muslims. "We urge upon OIC member states to continue impressing upon India and the international community to fulfill their promise to the Kashmiri people as enshrined in the UN and OIC resolutions. The OIC should also stress upon India to give access to international media and independent human rights observers who can independently confirm reports of abuse, violations and use of excessive force," he said. Yousaf Bin Muhammad said the OIC attaches great importance to the Kashmiri people and their peaceful struggle for self-determination in accordance with the UN resolutions. He said the OIC has supported Kashmiris as the issue has long been on the agenda of all OIC summit and the Council of Foreign Ministers meetings. OIC also has formed a Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir since 1994 and since then it holds regular meetings to reiterate the support of the OIC members and has shown concern on the situation in Kashmir. Syed Abdullah Gillani and Faiz Naqshbandi, True Representatives of Kashmiri People, briefed the audience about prevailing situation and continued human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Consul General Khalid Majid expressed gratitude to the OIC and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their continued support to the cause of Kashmir. He said that the pictures shown in the exhibition merely portray the sufferings of the people of Kashmir under occupation, though the real magnitude of violence remains out of the reach of media. Real sufferings are much more as India is obscuring the true picture by not allowing any world body to visit occupied Kashmir. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Arshad Munir, Consular (Press) at Pakistan Consulate Jeddah said that later Masood Ahmed Puri and members of the Kashmir Committee (KC) Jeddah presented a resolution to the secretary general, calling on India to stop forthwith the gross human rights violations in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, asking the international community to intensify its efforts in condemning India for continuous human rights violations there and urging the OIC to continue playing a leading role in projecting the Kashmir issue at all international fora.
