Joint efforts for Kashmir issues: Saudi FM, Qureshi exchange views

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday telephoned Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and exchanged views on 'joint efforts' for raising Kashmir issues on international forums, including at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Foreign Office said.

However, in the statement of the Foreign Office, there was no mention about accepting Pakistan's request for convening a special session of the OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on Kashmir. "The two Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relationship and reiterated the shared resolve to deepen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields", according to the Foreign Office statement.

"Views were exchanged on working together to advance the Kashmir cause, including from the OIC platform. The two Foreign Ministers also exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to remain in close contact", it stated, adding that Qureshi expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia's 'steadfast' support for the Kashmir cause, including as a key member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.

The telephonic contact between the two foreign ministers follows Saudi Arabia's earlier reluctance to call a special session of the OIC's CFM on Kashmir at Pakistan's request, as senior officials of the OIC will meet in Jeddah today (Sunday) for preparatory session to finalize the arrangements for the upcoming 47th session of the CFM.

The three-day preparatory meeting of the senior officials of the OIC from February 9-11 will finalize arrangements for 47th session of the CFM and not for the 'extraordinary session' on Kashmir as requested by Pakistan, a diplomatic source explained while talking to Business Recorder.

"Though the annual 47th session of the CFM may adopt a resolution on Kashmir, yet there has been no progress on the request of Pakistan for an extraordinary session on Kashmir", he said.

The 47th session of the OIC's CFM is scheduled to be held from April 3-4, 2020 in Niamey, the capital of the Republic of Niger. "Saudi Arabia has strong economic ties with India and such a decision by its Jeddah based OIC is unlikely. KSA will never take a risk to upset India", the diplomatic source said, adding that the move comes as a disappointment for Pakistan.

Pakistan pulled out from Kuala Lumpur summit called by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in December last year following Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) reservations which the Gulf States consider as a counter-move to the Jeddah-based OIC.

Pakistan, according to diplomatic sources, was expecting its request to hold an extraordinary session of foreign ministers of OIC-member states on Kashmir to be supported by Saudi Arabia as a quid pro quo to Prime Minister Imran Khan's decision to back out of attending the Malaysia summit at the last minute.

Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui was not available for comments despite repeated phone calls and text messages by this correspondent.

The spokesperson also avoided responding directly to a similar question during her weekly media briefing on Thursday and neither confirmed nor denied whether Saudi Arabia has turned down Pakistan's request for a special session of the OIC's CFMs on Kashmir.

"OIC and Pakistan have deep engagement. Historically, OIC has been one of the strongest proponents of Kashmir cause and several OIC resolutions have been passed on different aspects of Jammu and Kashmir dispute, including human rights violations, legal aspects of the dispute and the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per the UNSC Resolutions," she said, adding that Pakistan remains engaged with OIC at leadership level on the Kashmir cause and several ideas are discussed regularly in this regard.

For decades OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir has played a dynamic role in bringing this issue to the forefront at the international level, she said, adding that since 5 August 2019 OIC Contact Group has played an active role.

"The OIC Contact group met at the Ministerial level on the sidelines of UNGA last year. The OIC IPHRC [The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission] reported extensively on the human rights situation in IoJ&K," she added.

Lt Gen Talat Masood, a senior analyst told Business Recorder that the Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and UAE have always shown a reluctance to make any statement against India, or in favour of Kashmiri people who are being subjected to worst human rights abuses by the Indian forces.

In contrast Muslim counties such as Turkey, Malaysia and Iran openly support the Kashmiri people, he stated adding, these governments are in touch with the sentiments on their streets.