Pakistan’s “longstanding habit” of abusing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) platform to push its agenda against India, especially on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, has drawn harsh criticism from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
During a special briefing held in advance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s impending trip to Saudi Arabia, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri offered this reprimand. According to Misri, India has frequently addressed Pakistan’s conduct at the OIC with the OIC and its member nations, therefore they are not new.
He called Pakistan’s actions “shenanigans,” stating that other OIC members are aware of such attempts and that India will continue to express its concerns and provide clarification to the organisation and its allies.
The OIC is the second-largest international organisation after the United Nations, with 57 member nations spread across four continents. It asserts that it speaks for the Muslim world as a whole.
But India has always insisted that the OIC lacks the authority to speak on its domestic issues, particularly those pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir, which it claims is an essential component of its territory. at an effort to internationalise what India views as a bilateral issue, Pakistan has been accused by New Delhi of using the OIC as a propaganda weapon and of bringing up the Kashmir issue on numerous occasions at international fora.
India has also emphasised that, with the exception of a small number of nations like Malaysia and Turkey that have been outspoken in their support for Pakistan, the majority of OIC members prefer not to participate in divisive discussions over Kashmir, and that OIC declarations have no bearing on their bilateral ties with India.
Just before Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Saudi Arabia, the MEA made its most recent statement, highlighting India’s determination to refute Pakistan’s narrative in multilateral fora and demonstrating the depth and expansion of India-Saudi ties.
These comments are significant because they fit a pattern in which India denies Pakistan’s accusations while pointing to Islamabad’s own record on matters like minority rights and terrorism. India has frequently noted that Pakistan’s efforts to draw attention away from its own domestic problems and human rights record are part of a larger plan to utilise international forums, such as the OIC and the UN Human Rights Council, to bring up the Kashmir issue.
India’s interaction with important OIC members, especially Saudi Arabia, is growing despite Pakistan’s efforts, as seen by the forthcoming high-level visit and strategic cooperation projects.