ISLAMABAD

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on disputed Jammu and Kashmir met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

While reaffirming its support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, the group welcomed the ceasefire between Pakistan and India after their four-day clashes in May.

The meeting held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the General Assembly brought together the OIC chief, foreign ministers and senior officials from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Niger, according to a statement by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry.

It expressed “deep concern” over the military escalation in South Asia, stressing the need to “exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that would destabilize the region.

Appreciating the “constructive efforts” by all countries to mediate and bring the two parties together to reach this agreement, the group welcomed the ceasefire between Pakistan and India.

US President Donald Trump had announced a ceasefire between Pakistan and India after the nuclear-armed rivals engaged in clashes, firing missiles across the border, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people.

The OIC group stressed that peace in the region remains contingent on “final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute under UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”

It urged India to release political prisoners, repeal "restrictive and draconian laws" and implement the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

There was no immediate reaction from New Delhi to the statement from the Muslim bloc’s group on Jammu and Kashmir.