Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has said that current Indian leadership is perpetuating the occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and suppressing the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people.

He made these remarks during a press conference held in Islamabad alongside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Yousef Aldobeay, who also expressed concerns about Indian government actions and human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jilani emphasized the increasing Indian excesses in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir under the Modi government, pointing out that the restrictions on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people have persisted. He noted that approximately 4,000 political activists and human rights defenders are currently detained, and members of the Hurriyat leadership have been arbitrarily incarcerated.

The dignitaries brought attention to the death penalty sought by Indian authorities for Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik and Shabbir Ahmed Shah, as well as the escalation of atrocities by the state since 2019.

Jilani stated that India’s unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, aim to disempower the Kashmiri people and convert them into a disempowered minority in their own land. He underlined the OIC’s resolute support for the Kashmiri people’s just struggle and called for the implementation of international resolutions for a lasting resolution.

In response, Aldobeay expressed the OIC’s commitment to securing the rights of the Kashmiri people and condemned the “illegal steps” taken by the Indian government in August 2019 on behalf of all OIC members. He thanked Pakistan for its continued efforts in support of the occupied people.

Prior to the press conference, the two leaders held a meeting in Islamabad, where a comprehensive report on the Kashmir issue was presented by the OIC. In September, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah highlighted the Kashmir issue as a pressing challenge for regional security and stability during a meeting of the OIC. The OIC Contact Group urged the international community to intensify efforts to settle the Jammu and Kashmir issue based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions, calling for the release of all Kashmiri political prisoners and the repeal of draconian laws