India calls out Pakistan's shenanigans in OIC, calls it 'habit of longstanding'

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) India on Saturday yet again slammed Pakistan's repeated attempts to highlight matters concerning India's internal affairs at the meetings of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

At a media briefing organised ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Saudi Arabia next week, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri debunked Pakistan's false claims and attempts to misuse the forum.

"It is a habit of longstanding, one that we have regularly spoken out against and also raised with our friends and partners in the OIC. There is a certain view about these shenanigans that Pakistan practices in the OIC on the part of our colleagues and friends amongst the other members of the OIC but we will continue to share our views and bring to their attention what exactly we think of these attempts that Pakistan habitually makes," Misri told reporters in New Delhi.

The OIC, an organisation with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents, terms itself as the "collective voice" of the Muslim world and endeavours to "safeguard and protect" the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.

Over the last many years, India has called out the need to correct some of the misperceptions about India that are perpetrated by countries like Pakistan in the OIC, asserting that the platform should not subverted by these vested interests for comments on internal affairs of India or for anti-India propaganda through biased and one sided resolutions.

India has also maintained that OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India, including that of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India.

"It is regrettable that OIC continues to allow itself to be used by a certain country, which has an abominable record on religious tolerance, radicalism and persecution of minorities, to indulge in anti-India propaganda. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated before, pointing towards Pakistan's repeated attempts.

India has enjoyed deep historical, economic, and strategic ties with the Islamic world which have further been boosted in the past decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Several analysts believe that PM Modi has enhanced India's relationship with Muslim-majority countries in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East to strengthen India's security and economy.

As PM Modi continues his outreach to the Islamic world and especially with the Arab world, India's engagement with the Gulf region, which supplies more than 60 per cent crude oil to India and the OIC nations, who have bilateral trade with the country exceeding $200 billion, has become more robust and multifaceted in the past 10 years.

Prime Minister Modi will be in Saudi Arabia on a two-day visit starting April 22 at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. This will be PM Modi's third visit to the Kingdom after his previous visits in 2016 and 2019. It follows the State Visit of Prince Mohammed bin Salman to New Delhi in September 2023 to attend the G20 Summit and co-chair the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council.

--IANS

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