ISLAMABAD: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) secretary general’s Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir Ambassador Yousef M. Al Dobeay reached here on Monday on a five-day visit to witness the destruction and sufferings caused by ceasefire violations by Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC).

Ambassador Al Dobeay is leading a six-member delegation. During the visit, the group would travel to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and would meet senior Pakistani officials, who would brief them on deteriorating human rights situation in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

“The Special Envoy and his accompanying team members will visit the Line of Control (LoC) to get first-hand knowledge about the loss of lives and property caused by indiscriminate firing of Indian troops,” the FO said in a statement.

Ambassador Al Dobeay, a Saudi citizen, was appointed the OIC secretary general’s special envoy on Jammu Kashmir in June 2019 at the OIC Summit in Makkah.

Yousef scheduled to go to AJK, get briefing about LoC violations by Indian forces

Emphasising the importance of Ambassador Al Dobeay’s visit against the backdrop of annexation of occupied Kashmir in August 2019, the FO said that it was of particular significance and a reaffirmation of the strong message on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute contained in the Resolutions and Communiqués of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) and Summit meetings.

The FO statement recalled the support extended by OIC on Kashmir and noted that the 57-member bloc of Muslim countries had dedicated a Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir since 1994.

Mentioning some of the steps taken by OIC since Indian government revoked Article 370 and annexed occupied territory on Aug 5, 2019, the FO said that OIC and its human rights body, Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), had issued several statements condemning India’s actions and the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir has met twice. The IPHRC has also held an Open Discussion on the situation in Kashmir.

“Kashmiris and the people of Pakistan value the OIC’s role in espousing the cause of Jammu and Kashmir at the international level,” it added.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2020