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| India-Pakistan |
| OIC calls for international monitoring of LoC |
| 2002-06-08 |
| Expressing grave concern over the gravity of situation on the India-Pakistan border, the Organization of Islamic Conference called on Wednesday for the international monitoring of the Line of Control so that an environment conducive to the attainment of peace may be created. At a meeting convened on Pakistan's request, the Chairman of the OIC Group at the UN, Cheickna Keita of Mali, reiterated the Islamic group's solidarity with Pakistan in its hour of need. "My Islamic brethren, right or wrong. My mother, drunk or sober. Unless she's an adultress, or shows leg or something..." Briefing the 57-member OIC, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram said the international community "cannot close its eyes, specially when the possibility of an Indian attack on Pakistan is very strong," even if by accident or misunderstanding of the latter's intentions, resulting in pre-emptive aerial strikes. Saying that one or two members of the UN Security Council have resisted involving the council in the crisis, Akram called upon the OIC member states to stand now with Pakistan in this "hour of peril," and to extend their good offices in persuading others, including the members of the Security Council, to do so. "That fire's really hot. Could you guys, like, pull our chestnuts out, please?" He proposed that first, the international community should monitor the LoC in order to confirm no hostile or improper activity was taking place; second, India should be prevailed upon to de-escalate its military activity on its border with Pakistan, and on the LoC, returning to their peacetime positions, and third, India should work with Pakistan in exploring avenues of lasting peace in the region; in that process there should be a halt in the persecution of the Kashmiri people, concurrent with the easing of the use of militancy by the Kashmiri people and transition to a process involving India. "Let's get lots of international troops in there, preferably from Islamic countries — good, pious soldiers, with turbans and heavy weapons. Barring that, we'll get some Americans and the jihadis can get them involved so we can have a world war and us Muslims'll win because there's lots of us and we're pious. Okay?" Pakistan's chief delegate observed that "after the events of Sept 11, 2001, India has sought to take undue advantage of the opportunity to portray the Kashmir liberation struggle as terrorism, and to delegitimize the struggle, disregarding the fact that the right of self-determination is a crucial principle of the UN Charter, as is also the people's right to defend themselves, including by armed resistance. This is true of liberation struggles everywhere, including Palestine." "Even when they blow people up indiscriminately, as long as it's Muslims engaging in armed struggle." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |