ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Ofñce expressed concern on Wednesday over Indian government`s move to change the demography of occupied Kashmir.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, while briefing Islamabad-based diplomats of OIC member countries on the eve of the Kashmir Solidarity Day being observed on Feb 5, said: `The policies of the present Hindu nationalist BJP government aimed at changing the demographic makeup of Jammu and Kashmir by settling non-state subjects in IOK andturning Muslim majority there into a minority and dividing the population on ethnic, religious and communal lines are worrisome.

Concerns about the BJP government`s plans to alter occupied Kashmir`s demographic character have also been voiced by theKashmiri leadership.

This was the second briefing for foreign diplomats on the Kashmir Day. Last week, the foreign secretary had briefed envoys of five permanent UN Members of theSecurity Council and the European Union.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been a consistent supporter ofjust and durable solution of the Kashmir conflict in accordance with aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The OIC has a contact group on Jammu and Kashmir comprising Azerbaijan, Niger, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which meets regularly and adopts resolutions affirming the OIC`s continued support to Kashmiris.

Mr Chaudhry noted that elections in occupied Kashmir did not constitute an alternative to the plebiscite promised to the people of Kashmir.

He stressed that peace in the region would remain elusive without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Resolutions that call for a free andfair plebiscite to determine wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The foreign secretary emphasised that the OIC, as a body of 57 countries with the world`s 1/5th population and many trillion dollars GDP, could influence India to fulfil its obligations under the UN resolutions and de-militarise the occupied territory.