OIC Foreign Ministers' Council Meeting

Expressing its concern about absence of a coordinated dialogue process regarding the resolution of Kashmir issue, the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has demanded implementation on the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council in this regard. The 37th session of the OIC Foreign Ministers' Council was important for Pakistan because the OIC members, especially the Secretary General of the organization, Prof Akmal ud Din Ehsan Oglo expressed concern about situation in Kashmir and demanded of India to immediately resolve this issue in accordance with the UN resolutions.

Approach To Disputes
Although the OIC is called as the representative organization of the Islamic countries, yet practically it could not effectively represent the Islamic countries. The organization failed to carve out a significant place and importance for it like the European Union, whose members are united at a single platform in spite of having different shades of opinion.

Unfortunately, all Islamic countries of the world are members of this organization but everyone has its own agenda. The Arab countries are still under the notion that being Arabs, they are superior as compared to other nations. There have been differences among the Arab countries about heading the organization. Many countries claim that since they are the political leaders of Arabs, and they should be approached for every issue. At times it happens that the Arab countries bring the disputes emerging in the Arab League to the OIC because of which the OIC meetings are disrupted.

Kashmir Problem
Instead of terming the Palestine problem as the problem of the entire Muslim community, they term it as the problem of Arabs only and do not like the intervention of others in it. This may be the reason that this issue could not have been resolved so far. Similarly, they do not take interest in the Kashmir issue because it is not the problem of the Arab countries. If the OIC fails to resolve the problems of the Islamic countries, the Islamic countries will be justified in asking the question as to what is the objective of the organization. If all the Islamic countries get united, and decide that they will have resolved their problems, both the problems can be resolved.

The Kashmir issue is not as complicated that 57 Islamic countries cannot resolve it together. Only practical measures are required for this. The world powers have a realization that Islamic countries are not united. That is the reason that no importance is given to their voice.

Practical Measures
The Islamic countries can get their importance accepted by practical measures. If all the Islamic countries, particularly the Arab countries, decide that they would prefer Pakistan over India, and coordinate with Pakistan instead of India in case of trade and manpower, then India will become willing within a few days to resolve this issue. Both the countries have fought three wars on Kashmir issue.

If any war breaks out in future, it will be, God forbid, a nuclear war and the entire world will be affected by it. That is why the statement of Akmal ud Din Ehsan Oglo is correct that resolution of Kashmir issue is important for the world peace.