Pakistan has lashed out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for not supporting the Kashmir cause

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia relations are souring after the former’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed frustration over the latter’s and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) response on the Kashmir issue.

Comments made by Qureshi during a TV show prompted Saudi Arabia to compel Pakistan to prepay USD 1 billion - part of a Saudi USD 3.2 billion loan - a few days ago, said a report in The Times of India.

“I am once again respectfully telling OIC that a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers is our expectation. If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris,” Qureshi was quoted saying in Urdu on a TV talk show, said the Times of India.

Pakistan’s August 5 Kashmir show did not go as expected. The report elaborated that it was the silence of the OIC that Islamabad couldn’t tolerate. Pakistan was using its resources and international platform wherever it could to raise the Kashmir issue but to no avail. Saudi Arabia has reportedly stood in the way, only allowing an OIC contact group meeting, the report said.

Furthermore, Pakistan has not received any comfort from the UAE either, who have followed Saudi Arabia on this. Qureshi’s comments show Pakistan’s lack of international support on Kashmir.