India has briefed OIC members about Pakistan's role in aiding, abetting terrorism: Govt

India has, at a high level, briefed its interlocutors in several countries including in the member states of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) about Pakistan's role in aiding and abetting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

Replying to a written question on whether the Pakistan government has sent 22 special envoys to world capitals to talk on the Kashmir issue, minister of state in external affairs MJ Akbar said according to Pakistan media sources, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif designated 22 'special envoys' to apprise the world about the alleged "human rights abuses committed by Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir". These special envoys visited Belgium, China, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the UN (New York and Geneva), he said.

"The government at a high-level briefed our interlocutors in the concerned countries, including in the member states of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), about Pakistan's role in aiding and abetting terrorism in J-K and stressed that Pakistan's policy of glorying anti-India terrorists and supporting cross-border terrorism had negatively affected peace and stability in the entire region. "Efforts of these envoys (of Pakistan) do not seem to have gained much traction," Akbar asserted.

Replying to a separate question, Akbar said India has taken up with the Russian government its decision to conduct joint military drills with Pakistan as some reports indicated the joint exercises were to be held in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

In response, the Russian side clarified that the exercises would not be held in POK, the minister added. Replying to yet another question, the minister also said India was "maintaining contacts" with China on the issue of designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN.