ASTANA/SRINAGAR: The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) yesterday said it supports the right to self-determination in Kashmir in accordance with the UN resolution to solve the 60-year-old dispute between India and Pakistan.
“OIC endorses a 1948 UN resolution mandating a plebiscite in Kashmir,” OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told reporters on the sidelines of a conference on a dialogue between Islam and the western world in this capital city of Kazakhstan.
Denouncing the acts of violence in Kashmir, he said the “OIC condemns terrorism in any form in any part of the world.” Stressing that the Kashmir issue needed to be solved as per the wishes of the people, the OIC leader said a settlement should be acceptable to all parties — Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris. This, he added, would result in durable peace in South Asia.
Massive anti-India protests rocked the valley yet again after the Friday prayers on a call given by the separatist Coordination Committee, leaving more than 20 people injured in the resultant police-protester clashes.
Thousands of protesters in Srinagar and other major towns took to streets immediately after the Friday prayers shouting “we want freedom” slogans.
While yesterday’s protests were by and large peaceful, sporadic violence broke out in parts of capital city later in the afternoon, prompting police to use anti-riot measures, like tear gas shelling and baton charges.
A senior police officer said over a dozen people including two policemen and four paramilitary troopers were injured in clashes at Maisuma, Nowhatta, Gojiwara localities in the summer capital. In Srinagar, thousands of Muslim protesters took to the streets after offering noon prayers in city mosques. They hurled rocks at police who also chased them with batons, said Nisar Ahmed, a local police officer in Srinagar.
— With input from Mukhtar Ahmad
