OIC contact group urges India to improve HR situation in IIOJK, release Kashmiri political prisoners

NEW YORK, Sep 23 (APP): The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in relevant United Nations Security Council and OIC resolutions, and urged India to improve the human rights situation in IIOJK, release all Kashmiri political prisoners, lift the ban on outlawed Kashmiri political parties, and repeal restrictive and draconian laws.

The foreign ministers and senior officials of the OIC Contact Group member states, comprising Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Niger, met on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) chaired the meeting.

According to the Joint Communique issued after the meeting, the participants heard reports from the OIC General Secretariat and the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (OIC-IPHRC), a briefing by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, views of other Contact Group members and representatives of the Kashmiri people on the latest developments in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The Contact Group reaffirmed earlier OIC pronouncements and resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and reiterated the joint communiques issued by its meetings since September 2019.

The members expressed solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan and voiced deep concern over the military escalation in South Asia in May 2025, including the unlawful and unwarranted strikes at multiple locations in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

They stressed the need to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that could destabilize the region.

The contact group welcomed the ceasefire following the military escalation and appreciated the constructive efforts by countries to mediate and bring the two sides together to reach the agreement.

It underscored that durable peace and stability in South Asia would remain contingent upon the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The participants also expressed concern over statements by some Indian leaders regarding Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, describing such claims as a threat to regional peace.

The contact group expressed concern over the crackdown launched by Indian authorities in IIOJK following the Pahalgam attack, including the arrest of around 2,800 persons and demolition of about three dozen houses.

It also denounced the continued issuance of domicile certificates in IIOJK, noting that more than 3.4 million such certificates had been issued since 2019.

The members expressed serious concern over the continued detention and denial of bail to prominent Kashmiri leaders Yasin Malik, Asiya Andrabi and Shabbir Ahmed Shah, who had been diagnosed with cancer.

They further condemned the prolonged detention of thousands of Kashmiri political workers, dissenters and human rights defenders, the banning of a number of Kashmiri political parties and the ongoing campaign to confiscate properties of Kashmiri activists.

The contact group also denounced restrictions on religious congregations at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid and Eidgah during important occasions including Eid-ul-Azha and Eid-ul-Fitr.

It reiterated its rejection of India’s actions of August 5, 2019, and subsequent steps which it said were aimed at undermining the internationally recognized disputed status of IIOJK and altering its demographic structure and political landscape.

The members stressed that any electoral exercise in IIOJK under the Indian Constitution could not serve as a substitute for granting the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right to self-determination.

The contact group welcomed the visit of the OIC Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025, as well as the Joint Press Statement issued by the OIC Group of Ambassadors to the UN in New York on May 2, 2025.

It also welcomed the declaration of the OIC Contact Group meeting held in Istanbul on June 22, 2025, calling for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and the Joint Communique adopted by the Contact Group in New York on September 23, 2025.

The contact group requested the OIC Secretary-General and member states to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people at international forums, including the United Nations.

It further requested the OIC-IPHRC to dispatch a fact-finding mission to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Line of Control to obtain firsthand information about the situation on the ground.

The OIC Observer Missions in New York and Geneva were directed to circulate the Joint Communique among all member states, the UN Secretary-General and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.