The OIC Special Envoy, Ambassador Yousef Aldobeay, and his delegation’s visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir reaffirms the OIC’s unwavering support for the Kashmir cause and highlights the urgent need for a resolution in the region, emphasizing the importance of unity and solidarity in addressing the Kashmir issue.

The Special Envoy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Yousef Aldobeay, and his three-member delegation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Sudan, visited Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) from October 11 to 12, 2023. This visit was mandated by the OIC Plan of Action (POA) on Jammu and Kashmir, adopted by the 48^th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Islamabad in March 2022. The Special Envoy had previously visited AJK in March 2020 and November 2021, and a comprehensive report on these visits was presented before the 47^th and 48^th CFMs.

This year marks the fourth anniversary of India’s unlawful actions on August 5, 2019, which aimed at executing demographic changes, electoral manipulation, and dispossessing the Kashmiris of their rightful cultural and ethnic identity. The OIC has rejected the actions of August 5, 2019, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) by the Modi government and has been demanding that India must withdraw from its unilateral and illegal actions. Ambassador Yousef Aldobeay, while reiterating OIC’s constant support for the Kashmir cause, stated that the issue of 'Kashmir is not only that of Kashmiris and Pakistan but of the entire Muslim world.' He expressed these views during a meeting with the delegation of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK).
He further emphasized that the OIC stands in solidarity with Kashmiris in their struggle for the right to self-determination, acknowledging the valuable efforts made by Pakistan against Islamophobia. He highlighted that the massacre of Muslims, the destruction of mosques, and the desecration of the Holy Quran in India and IIOJK constitute acts of Islamophobia, which India is perpetrating under the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government. APHC Convener, Mahmood Ahmad Sagar, provided a briefing to the special envoy and other members of the delegation about the latest situation in IIOJK and also informed them about the various aspects of India-Israel collusion against Muslims.
The OIC special envoy visited the Chakothi Sector and Muzaffarabad, AJK. Upon their arrival in Muzaffarabad, the delegation laid a floral wreath at the Jammu and Kashmir Monument. They also visited the Mankpiyan Refugees Camp in Muzaffarabad, where they received a briefing on the comprehensive measures taken to improve the socioeconomic well-being of the inhabitants who had fled Indian atrocities in IIOJK. The delegation engaged with victims of Indian shelling to assess the gravity of the situation and listen to their grievances. They were also briefed on the situation along the Line of Control (LOC).
The dignitary assured the OIC's support for the Kashmir cause and expressed his desire to visit Kashmir twice each year. Additionally, he endorsed Pakistan's stance on the Kashmir issue, reiterating that OIC supports Pakistan's position, which is primarily based on the United Nations’ resolutions. Senior Minister of the AJK Government, Colonel Waqar Ahmed Noor (Retired), met with the delegation on behalf of the Prime Minister of AJK. In addition to meetings with representatives of various political parties and members of civil society, the delegation expressed appreciation for the Government of Pakistan for providing them with an opportunity to visit the Line of Control and gain an eyewitness account of the situation along the LOC.