OIC To Discuss Kashmir Issue As Saudi Plans To Foil Attempts To Replace Islamic Body; Returns Favour To Pakistan

In a bid to placate Islamabad, Riyadh has agreed to “convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Kashmir,” reports Livemint.

This move is seen as an attempt to mend fence with Pakistan after it skipped a rival summit of Islamic nations in Malaysia at the insistence of Saudi Arabia which considers itself as the leader of the Islamic community or “Ummah.”

The attempt to create a new bloc within the Islamic nations and replace the dysfunctional OIC was seen as a direct challenge to Saudi Arabia’s hegemony that controls Islam’s two holy mosques of Mecca and Medina.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan who was visiting Pakistan in official capacity conveyed the gratitude to Pakistan for not participating in the recently held Kuala Lumpur summit of Muslim nations.

It was evident Pakistan skipping the summit hosted by Malaysia was under duress as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are key financial backers of the cash-stripped country, but in order to return the favour, Kashmir will be discussed when the foreign ministers of OIC will meet.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has been publicly expressing his anger over the abrogation article 370 and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The OIC is a 57-member grouping of Muslim majority nations, which has historically been supportive of Pakistan on several issues including Kashmir.

According to experts, by backing the Kuala Lumpur summit, Pakistan sent a message to Saudi Arabia it has other means to raise the Kashmir issue. At the same time by agreeing to not take part was to show Saudi Arabia what it wants in return.