The lower-level meeting to discuss the Kashmir issue could be held in Pakistan itself and not in Riyadh. MEA has managed to persuade OIC to downgrade level of participation during meeting on Kashmir. The OIC meeting on Kashmir may now take place in Pakistan. An official response from the Ministry of External Affairs is awaited

In what seems to be a diplomatic achievement for India, the Ministry of External Affairs has managed to have the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) downgrade the level of participation for the meeting that could take place to discuss the issue of Kashmir.

Earlier, Pakistani media had reported that the meeting would take place at the foreign ministers' level but India Today TV has learnt that hectic negotiations led to the decision that only parliamentarians of member nations would participate at the meeting.

The OIC meeting on Kashmir might not take place in Saudi Arabia although the assurance of holding the meet was conveyed by the Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud to his counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi during his visit to Islamabad. India Today TV has learnt that this lower level meeting could be held in Pakistan itself and not in Riyadh.

According to a statement issued by Pakistan Foreign Office on foreign ministers' meet, it said that Qureshi raised the issue of India's abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and NRC and the "systematic targeting of minorities in India, particularly Muslims".

The statement added the "two Foreign Ministers discussed OIC's role in the advancement of the cause of Kashmir".

In its own negotiations with Riyadh, Pakistan has been pushing hard for a meeting on Kashmir. In return, Pakistan obliged Saudi Arabia by not participating in a conference of Islamic nations hosted by Malaysia which was attended by Iran as well.

While Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been supporting Islamabad on all issues against India, Islamabad, a key mover of the summit had backed out of the Kuala Lumpur summit at the behest of Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia had boycotted the forum. Pakistan used that as leverage to bring a move on Kashmir at the OIC. Earlier, on December 22, the OIC put out a strong statement expressing "concern" over the issue of minorities in India. An issue that was pushed by Pakistan.

"The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been closely following recent developments affecting the Muslim minority in India. It expresses its concern over the recent developments pertaining to both the issue of citizenship rights and the Babri Masjid case. It reiterates its call to ensure the safety of the Muslim minority and the protection of Islamic holy places in India", said the statement over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in India.

India's August 5 decision to water down Article 370, impacting the status of Jammu and Kashmir, has received a lot of criticism from various quarters. But, interestingly, there has been very little support for Pakistan's efforts from the two major countries of the Islamic world, Saudi Arabia and UAE, because of the strategic partnership they have with India.

With the recent move to hold a discussion on Kashmir at OIC that not so long ago hosted then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as chief guest at the OIC summit, this move will cause much heartburn in New Delhi.

An official response from the Ministry of External Affairs is awaited.