India hits out at OIC for inviting Hurriyat Conference chief to its meet in Pakistan

Arindam Bagchi said New Delhi does not expect the OIC to encourage actors and organisations engaged in terrorism and anti-India activities

India on Thursday criticised the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for inviting the chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Masarat Alam Bhat, to attend a meeting of the foreign ministers of its member-nations in Islamabad next week.

New Delhi does not expect the OIC to encourage actors and organisations engaged in terrorism and activities against the interests of India, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, told journalists.

The OIC is holding a meeting of the foreign ministers of its member-nations in Islamabad on March 22 and 23. It is being hosted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Pakistan got OIC Secretariat invite the chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, which had been accused by New Delhi of leading the movement for secession of Kashmir from India.

“India takes very serious view of such actions which are aimed at subverting the country's unity and violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the MEA spokesperson said in New Delhi.

“It is highly unfortunate that the OIC continues to be guided by a single member's political agenda rather than focusing on important development activities,” he added, tacitly taking a jibe at Pakistan.

"We have repeatedly called upon the OIC to refrain from allowing vested interests to exploit the platform for comments on India's internal affairs,” he said.

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