NEW YORK, Jan 22: The leading members of the Organization of Islamic Conference on Tuesday lauded Pakistan as the spokesperson for Islamic nations in the UN Security Council and expressed their support for the oppressed people of Kashmir and Palestine.

At a luncheon meeting hosted by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, for the prominent members of the 53-member OIC, they also assured Pakistan that they would support Justice Mansur Ahmed’s candidature for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

They also expressed appreciation of Pakistan’s explicit support for the struggle of self determination by the Palestinian and Kashmiri people at the Security Council meeting on Monday.

Mr Kasuri informed the OIC members of India stepped up anti-Muslim actions within its country specially in the state of Gujarat and against the Kashmiri people in occupied Kashmir.