Report by Noorulhassan Gujjar: The Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the OIC organized a special event and photo exhibition at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah today, marking Kashmir Solidarity Day. The event was graced by His Excellency Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), who served as the chief guest. Attendees included the OIC Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Yousef Al Dobeiye, Assistant Secretaries General of the OIC, Permanent Representatives of OIC Member States, diplomats, officials from the OIC General Secretariat, members of the diplomatic corps in Jeddah, as well as media personnel, members of the Kashmir Committee Jeddah, and a large contingent from the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora.
In his opening address, Ambassador Syed Mohammad Fawad Sher, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the OIC, expressed his gratitude to the OIC Secretary-General for attending the event. Ambassador Sher emphasized that Kashmir Solidarity Day, observed annually on February 5th, is a time for Pakistan and Kashmiris around the world to demonstrate unwavering political, moral, and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people’s struggle for self-determination, as outlined in the UN Charter and relevant OIC and UN Security Council Resolutions.
He further drew attention to the parallel struggles in Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, where, despite the worst forms of war crimes and atrocities, the courage and spirit of the Palestinian and Kashmiri people remain unshaken. Ambassador Sher also appreciated the OIC’s long-standing principled stance on Jammu and Kashmir and urged the organization to intensify its efforts in amplifying the voices of the Kashmiri people.
The keynote address was delivered by OIC Secretary-General H.E. Hissein Brahim Taha, who reaffirmed the OIC’s categorical support for the Kashmir cause. He highlighted that the OIC, through various mechanisms including the OIC Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir, the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, and the IPHRC’s Standing Mechanism to monitor human rights in the Indian-administered Kashmir (IIOJK), would continue to project the Kashmir issue and hold India accountable for its actions that deny Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
Ambassador Yousef Al Dobeiye, OIC Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir, also addressed the gathering, reiterating the OIC’s steadfast commitment to supporting Kashmir’s right to self-determination.
During the event, Mr. Masood Puri, Chairman of the Kashmir Committee Jeddah, expressed deep concern over India’s increasing repression in Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing the rising human rights violations.
The Consul General of Pakistan in Jeddah, Mr. Khalid Majid, delivered the concluding remarks, reaffirming Pakistan’s firm stance on the Kashmir dispute.
The event also included a poignant photo exhibition, which depicted the ongoing human rights abuses committed by Indian occupation forces in Jammu and Kashmir, shedding light on the region’s grim reality.
This event served as a reminder of the global commitment to the Kashmir cause and the ongoing struggle for the rights and dignity of the Kashmiri people.
