ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Thursday Kashmir and Pakistan are bound by geography, history, faith, and culture, and it will continue to extend its complete diplomatic, political, and moral support for the Kashmiris’ freedom struggle.
Delivering his opening remarks as the chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers at 49th Session of the CFM in Nouakchott, he recalled that the UNSC had approved a resolution that the people of Jammu and Kashmir must be able to exercise the right to self-determination through an UN-backed referendum.
After 🇵🇰's successful tenure as Chair of 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, I handed over the Chair of 49th OIC CFM to my Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug @MS_Merzoug in Nouakchott. Thanked OIC MSs for their invaluable support & coop. during 🇵🇰's tenure. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/NtziIlNjEt
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) March 16, 2023
The Minister said, “New Delhi moved away from its promise to implement the UN’s decision, and resorted to force and fraud,”. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that three years following India’s unilateral and illegal acts of August 5, 2019, it was evident that its drive of colonial expansion had completely failed. He added that it would never succeed and the people of Jammu and Kashmir would win their struggle for freedom against India.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister
According to APP, the OIC Secretary General, his special envoy and the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir had made huge contributions in advocating and projecting the just cause of the Kashmiri people.
Bilawal Bhutto hoped that the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir will adopt an effective plan to further promote the just cause of Kashmir in its upcoming session. The Minister added that without the resolution of the issue of Kashmir, durable peace between Pakistan and India was impossible. As about the Palestine issue, Bilawal Bhutto said the OIC member nations must continue to condemn Israel’s aggression against the occupied Palestinian territory and the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister said Islamabad had done everything possible to stop a major humanitarian crisis and economic collapse in Afghanistan. The Organization of Islamic Conference, the Minister said, should contribute to drawing up a clear path for peace in Afghanistan to encourage the Afghan interim rulers to fulfil their earlier pledges; to completely respect human rights, especially women’s rights; promote political inclusivity; and eradicate the terrorist threat of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Daesh, and other terrorist outfits in the country.
The Minister said that Islamabad warmly welcomed the deal reached by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Iran to resume diplomatic ties and the positive role played by the Chinese leadership. He said that it is time to join hands to restore peace in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Ira, and to this end, the OIC must further strengthen its security mechanism to promote solutions via dialogues. The Minister informed that Islamabad would host the 18th OIC trade fare in June 2023 and would look forward to hosting the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) ministerial conference on women empowerment this year.
