India on Monday rejected references to the country in resolutions from an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Baghdad, accusing Pakistan of orchestrating them.
The Ministry of External Affairs called the references “malicious, biased, and false.” Foreign ministers met Oct. 17-18, and India issued its response the following day.
India accused the OIC of allowing Pakistan to use the forum for what the ministry called a “bigoted agenda.”
The OIC has no standing to comment on India’s internal matters, the ministry said. It reiterated India’s claim to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, saying both belong to India and that political propaganda would not change that.
Pakistan’s withdrawal from areas India describes as illegally and forcibly occupied remains necessary, according to the statement. The ministry also called for an end to alleged Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism. In India’s view, those are the only Kashmir issues still requiring resolution.
Residents of Jammu and Kashmir had benefited from infrastructure development, tourism and connectivity, the ministry said, and the economy had grown significantly since Article 370 was revoked.
The statement accused Pakistan of repressing civilian protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where, it alleged, scores of people, including women and children, had been killed. A media blackout had also been imposed by Pakistan, according to the statement, though reports of human rights abuses had emerged despite it. The ministry gave no precise death toll. Its account of the killings and repression was not independently verified.
India also objected to references to Islamophobia, which the ministry dismissed as fabricated. It accused Pakistan of trying to shift attention away from persecution of minorities and sectarian violence within its own borders, and also cited Pakistan’s governance failures and political instability.
The ministry questioned the OIC’s credibility and integrity for repeatedly endorsing narratives promoted by Pakistan, and urged member countries to reform the organization.
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