India Rejects OIC Communique on Jammu & Kashmir as 'Factually Incorrect'

India has categorically rejected references to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in a joint communique issued by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu & Kashmir, which met on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the OIC has no locus standi to pronounce on matters that are strictly internal to India. It asserted that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country, and that repetition of politically motivated propaganda cannot alter this reality.

The MEA described the references to India in the communique of the so-called OIC Contact Group as unwarranted and factually incorrect, and said repeated endorsement of such motivated narratives raises serious questions about the credibility of the OIC. It added that instead of offering a platform to Pakistan to peddle what it called fabricated and motivated propaganda, the OIC would be better advised to counsel Pakistan — which it said has a well-documented record of supporting and sponsoring terrorism — to look inwards and address the continuing threat of terrorism emanating from territories under its control.

At the group's meeting, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged OIC member states to keep Kashmir a top priority and maintain a unified diplomatic stance. The communique reaffirmed support for the Kashmiri right to self-determination, sought the release of political prisoners, and urged implementation of UN Security Council resolutions. Alongside Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Niger are part of the 57-member grouping.

The statement from New Delhi came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the Kashmir issue during his address to world leaders on Tuesday. Erdogan said that in South Asia, it is important that all disputes, including the Kashmir issue, be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Charter and relevant resolutions. His remarks were made in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

This marked another instance of Erdogan using the platform to raise the Kashmir issue despite India's repeated objections to third-party involvement. He had called for a resolution on Kashmir from the same podium in September last year, spoke extensively on the issue in 2019 after India abrogated Article 370, and raised it at the UNGA in 2021. In 2020, he referred to Jammu & Kashmir in a pre-recorded video statement to the General Debate, while in 2024 he did not mention the issue in his UNGA speech.

New Delhi had earlier called such statements completely unacceptable, saying Turkey should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its own policies more deeply. India-Turkey ties came under strain following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, after which Erdogan expressed solidarity with Pakistan and called for de-escalation.