OIC appoints Yousef Aldobeay as special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has appointed Yousef Aldobeay of Saudi Arabia as its special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir.

The appointment was made during the 14th OIC summit held in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah on Friday, which was attended by several leaders of Muslim countries, including Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The Summit reiterated the Conference's principled support for the legitimate right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with UN resolutions.

The OIC called for the adoption of a comprehensive strategy to combat Islamophobia, building on proposals made by Pakistan in the OIC Ministerial Executive Committee meeting in March 2019.

Speaking at the summit, Imran Khan articulated Pakistan's views on the situation in Kashmir, Palestine, Islamophobia and the need for science, technology and innovation for Muslim countries.

The OIC is a 57-nation grouping which claims to be the collected voice of Muslims across the world.

One of its main aims is to preserve Islamic social and economic values and uphold international peace and security. But some critics say it lacks real engagement and solutions for Muslim countries in crisis even as it made progress socially and academically.