New Delhi, May 6 (UNI) India today rejected the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) statement calling for de-escalation of tensions in South Asia, and termed it as yet another attempt by Pakistan "to manipulate and misguide the OIC Group to issue a self-serving statement".
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement, also said the OIC failed to recognise the facts of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were gunned down.
“The OIC statement, issued at the behest of Pakistan, is absurd in refusing to recognise the facts of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and its cross-border linkages.
“This is yet another attempt by Pakistan, a country that has long engaged in cross-border terrorism, to manipulate and misguide the OIC Group to issue a self-serving statement.
“We reject the OIC’s interference on matters that are internal to India.”
The spokesperson’s response comes following the OIC statement that sought to rake up the “disputed status” of Jammu and Kashmir and internationalise it.
The OIC statement read:
“The General Secretariat of the OIC expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in the South Asian region and called for restraint and the urgent resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India. It stressed the need to resolve differences through peaceful means, in accordance with law and the UN Charter, to safeguard peace, security and stability in South Asia.”
The OIC, while “condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestation”, also reaffirmed its “unwavering support for the Jammu and Kashmir question”.
It urged the international community to intensify efforts “to find a peaceful resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in line with the relevant UNSC resolutions”.
”Noting that this unresolved issue remains the core challenge to lasting peace and stability in the region, the OIC underscored the importance of sustained commitment to a peaceful settlement,” it said.
UNI RN