Pakistan seeks OIC support in Kashmir

by M. K. Dhar                       

Pakistan is once again desperate. Finding itself cornered by the civilized world on the issue of support to the Islamic terrorists, it had found support for its cause floundering. To revive the flagging interest of the Muslim world in Kashmir, it has now tried to rope in the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), forgetting the ineffectiveness of OIC in tackling with issues that are a matter of life and death for the Muslim world. 

True to its habit, Pakistan is again trying to mobilize support of Muslim countries for its claim on Kashmir and to bring pressure on India to settle the issue on the basis of the Musharraf plans which essentially demands withdrawal of Indian forces from the State.  It is activating the captive forum of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) to keep harping on the right of the Kashmir people to self-determination, even though most of the member countries have denied it to their own people.  By raking up the issue, the OIC is once again exposing its ineffectiveness in tackling such issues as Palestine, Iraq, Iran and the fratricidal Shia-Sunni war in several West Asian countries. 

A conference of the foreign ministers of OIC countries is being convened in Islamabad in May to discuss, among other issue, Kashmir, which has remained inscribed on its agenda ever since its inception.  Pakistan is raking up the issue despite the clear agreement with India to discuss it bilaterally and without any outside interference.  During his Pakistan visit in March Ezzat Kamel Mufti, the special representative of the OIC Secretary-General, repeated old commitments on Kashmir.  He visited Pakistan to ascertain the condition of the Muslims living in “Azad Kashmir” and their views on resolution of the Kashmir issue.  He will make a report to the foreign Ministers, which, after considering the same, will make appropriate recommendations for discussion at the Summit-level meeting for which no date has yet been fixed. 

India refused permission to a “fact finding” mission proposed by the OIC to visit Jammu and Kashmir for the purpose of ascertaining the conditions in which the Muslim population was living, the alleged human rights violations and hears their complaints against India.  New Delhi took the position that it did not recognize the authority of any outside organization, including the OIC, to meddle in Kashmir, which was its integral part.  It would oppose communalizing the issue and any move by Islamic countries would amount to questioning India’s secular and democratic traditions.  Peeved at India’s refusal, the OIC nevertheless went ahead with passing a customary resolution on Kashmir, which was routinely ignored by India. 

Interference by an organization based on religion, which lends support to Pakistan’s territorial claim on Kashmir on the basis of the two-nation theory, is totally unacceptable to India, which does not see Kashmir as a religious issue.  India remain home to the world’s second largest Muslim population, after Indonesia and is in no mood to entertain a second partition of the country which Pakistan is, in effect, demanding.  Even at the last OIC summit held in Kuala Lumpur Gen. Musharraf kept harping that Kashmir was still a “core Islamic issue” and that Pakistan would not submit to what he called India’s “coercion and blackmail.”  Though he has given an indication of his position having evolved since then, but having got the issue inscribed on the OIC agenda, the General is reluctant to abandon this Islamic forum for mounting a tirade against India. 

As it is, the OIC has proved to be an ineffective organization, even when it comes to redressing the wrongs done to Muslims, curbing sectarian wars, resolving the issue of Palestine etc. etc.  Equally helpless it has been in firmly opposing and curbing international terrorism symbolized by Al Qaida and Taliban and at state level, by Hamas and al Badr organizations.  In fact, divisions in the OIC are getting deeper, with only lip service being paid to Islamic causes, Muslim empowerment, democratizing and secularizing Islamic societies and encouraging spread of modern though and scientific education, adopting modern economics to ensure speedy development and remove poverty among Muslims.  Muslims feel the need for change and seek their economic and social betterment, but some regimes have developed a vested interest in perpetuating authoritarianism and feudalism and opposing democracy and modernization to keep themselves in power. 

In fact, India, which is responsible for the welfare of the world’s second largest Muslim population, ought to have been represented in this organization.  When King Abdulla Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia was in India last year, he remarked that India should have an observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Conference, similar to that of Russia.  It would be “beneficial” if India’s entry was proposed by a nation, such as, Pakistan.  His observation lends strength to the Indian argument that it needs to be heard on issues affecting Muslims and their development and welfare.  When the Islamic Summit Conference (which later converted itself into OIC) met in Rabat in September 1969, on the initiative of the late King Fasal of Saudi Arabia, India was invited to attend.  The main item on the agenda was the desecration of the Al Aqsa mosque n Jerusalem and King Faisal had argued that it was a matter of concern to all Muslims and not only to the “Muslim States” and India was qualified to representation at the meeting.  The Indian delegate made a speech at the conference, which forms part of the record. 

Subsequently, however, Pakistan threw up tantrums at the invitation to India and the country being permanently represented in the organization.  Muslims from India who sometimes attend the OIC meetings, such as, Hurriyat leaders, are called “representatives of the Muslim community in India”, attending in private capacity and not as state representatives.  After the OIC finalized its charter in 1972, Pakistan began using it as a forum for anti-India propaganda and presenting a horrific picture of the conditions of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir living under Indian “subjugation” and demanded the right of self-determination for them.  No doubt, the rhetoric of the early days is absent, except when it comes to Pakistani representatives outbursts.  Most member countries now support Indian secularism and appreciate the manner in which various communities live here in peace and harmony, with their interests and rights protected by the state through laws and the Constitution and by a watchful judiciary.  It remains to be seen whether King Abdullah will follow up his initiative and find a way to get Indian observer status in the OIC, just as Russia, which has minority Muslim population and its interest in floating a grouping of gas exporting countries a – “Gas OPEC” – itself being the world’s largest gas exporter.

Though the OIC meets at regular intervals to discuss the flashpoints in the Muslim world, without taking tangible steps and restricting themselves to debate and discussion.  The basic reason for this is that due to the linkages of these states with the world’s major powers, particularly the sole super-power, the United States, and to safeguard their vital national and economic interests, and more particularly preserving their regimes, some of which are authoritarian and feudalist, cannot reach a consensus on throny issues.  The OIC has no powers to resolve these issues by bringing its influence to bear on the warring elements, nor can it bring about a change in the US policies in the Middle East, or elsewhere. 

The US is said to thinking of some sort of military action against Iran, which has defied successive Security Councils resolutions and refuses to halt uranium enrichment.  Pakistan, the old faithful military ally, is now being used to forge a front of Sunni Islamic states in the region in furtherance of US policies.  Gen. Musharraf is trying to rope in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, UAE and Turkey in this combination on the pretext of discussing measures to fight terrorism in Muslim countries.  Simultaneously, Al Qaida fighters in Pakistan are being activated for this purpose.  The reported clashes going on between Al Qaida “foreign” militants and local “loyal” tribals in Azam Warsak in which heavy casualties are reported, is expected to result in driving Al Qaida from the area towards Balochistan, which has a long border with Iran.  They may be used for intrusions into Iran and harassing the Shia fundamentalist regime led by clerics. 

Suspicious of Pakistan’s collusion with the US, Tehran has publicly blamed Pakistan for promoting terrorism in Iran, where some incidents targeting security forces have been reported. Iran has decided to erect a concrete wall along with fencing all along its border with Pakistan to prevent intrusions by hostile elements from Pakistan at the behest of the United States.  US troops and air facilities are already available within Pakistan to participate in any military action against Iran.  This is the beginning of a very dangerous game, which is sought to be played in the region to which several countries are being made party. 

This is yet another example of the disunity among the OIC member states, some of whom do not hesitate to work against the interests of other Islamic countries to please the US and reap rich cash rewards.  Some of them are promoters of terrorism and shelter terrorists, such as Pakistan.  In fact, there are more differences among them than convergence of interests.  Yet, they do not hesitate to show interest in India’s internal affairs at the behest of a country whose credentials are extremely doubtful