Meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir on the Sidelines of 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Held on 23 September 2025 in New York: Joint Communique'
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Senior Officials of the Member States of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Turkiye, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Republic of Niger) met on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 23 September 2025. The Secretary General of the OIC chaired the meeting.
Having heard the report from the OIC General Secretariat and Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (OIC-IPHRC), the briefing from Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, the views of the Foreign Ministers and Senior Officials of other Member States of the Contact Group as well as the True Representatives of the Kashmiri People on the latest developments in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK);
Reaffirming the earlier OIC pronouncements and resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute;
Reiterating the contents of the Joint Communiques issued by the meetings of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, held on 25 September 2019, 22 June 2020, 23 September 2021, 22 March 2022, 21 September 2022, 17 March 2023, 20 September 2023, 26 September 2024 and 22 June 2025;
The Foreign Ministers and Senior Officials:
Reaffirmed their unwavering support for the Kashmiri people's inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions;
Expressed solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan, and indicated their deep concern over the recent military escalation in the South Asia region, including the unjustified strikes carried out on multiple locations in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and stressed the need to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that would destabilize the region;
Welcomed the ceasefire between the two sides following the military escalation and appreciated the constructive efforts made by all countries to mediate and bring the two parties together to reach this agreement;
Underscored that the developments, unfolding since Pahalgam attack of 22 April 2025, have once again shown that durable peace and stability in South Asia will remain contingent upon the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri People;
Emphasized that some of the Indian leaders' unwarranted claims and irresponsible statements about Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan constitute a threat to regional peace;
Expressed their concern regarding the crackdown launch by the Indian authorities in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), as a reprisal to the Pahalgam attack, including arrest of around 2,800 persons and demolition of about 3 dozen houses;
Expressed serious concerns over continued detention and denial of bail to prominent Kashmiri leader, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer;
Further Condemned the prolonged detention of the thousands of Kashmiri political workers, dissenters and human rights defenders; banning of a number of Kashmiri political parties; and the ongoing campaign to confiscate the properties of the Kashmiri activities;
Denounced the curbs on the religious congregations at Srinagar historic Jamia Masjid and Eidgah on important religious occasions such as Eid-ul-Azha and Eid-ul-Fitr;
Reiterated their rejection of illegal and unilateral actions taken by India on 5 August 2019 as well as the subsequent steps aimed at undermining the internationally recognized disputed status of the IIOJK and altering its demographic structure and political landscape;
Stressed that any electoral exercise in IIOJK, pursuant to the Indian Constitution, cannot serve as a substitute to the grant of the right to self-determination to the people of Jammu & Kashmir;
Welcomed the visit to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir by the Secretary General's Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025;
Also welcomed the Joint Press Statement of 2 May 2025, issued by the OIC Group of Ambassadors to the United Nations in New York, underscoring that the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains the core issue affecting peace and security in South Asia;
Requested the Secretary General and OIC Member States to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people at various international fora, including the United Nations;
Further requested the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission to dispatch a fact-finding mission to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Line of Control to obtain the first-hand information about the situation on ground;
Directed the OIC Observer Missions in New York and Geneva to send a copy of this Joint Communiqué to all Member States, the UN Secretary General and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; and
Urged India to improve the human rights situation in IIOJK, release all Kashmiri political prisoners, lift the ban on the outlawed Kashmiri political parties, repeal all restrictive and draconian laws, and implement the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
New York
September 23,2025
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