ISLAMABAD (APP) - Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday left here for Saudi Arabia to represent Pakistan at the emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the situation in Gaza.
During his three-day official visit, the prime minister will participate in the emergency meeting being held in Riyadh, which will discuss the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
He will also hold sideline meetings with the visiting heads of state and government from other countries. Saudi Arabia has convened the extraordinary summit of the OIC to discuss the escalating situation in Gaza.
Earlier, addressing the 16th ECO Summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, PM Kakar said a well-connected region can bring colossal economic and peace dividends for people.
The Prime Minister termed the corridor based approach adopted by the ECO to maximize potential a step in the right direction.
He said the corridor projects will facilitate an enabling environment for the private sector to widen business and investment opportunities.
Terming operationalization of Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad corridor a significant development, he said Pakistan is upgrading its rail and road infrastructure to facilitate trade with the neighbors and beyond.
He said it is imperative that more border crossing points in the ECO regional are notified so that trade operations are facilitated.
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar said Afghanistan has a critical role in regional connectivity.
He said Projects such as CASA 1000, Trans Afghan railways, TAPI and others are strategic investments in shared future.
He said Pakistan looks forward to working closely with other ECO countries towards the shared goal of building a peaceful, prosperous and interconnected Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the ECO trade agreement quota is a landmark preferential trade arrangement.
Highlighting the latest development in the investment landscape of Pakistan, he said the government has established a Special Investment Facilitation Council that will serve as single window platform for cooperation in five key sectors including agriculture, defense production, IT, energy and mining.
Denouncing Israeli atrocities in Gaza, the Prime Minister said this issue needs to be addressed in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
He urged the ECO member countries to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and support the call for provision of humanitarian assistance.
Highlighting the Indian atrocities in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar said Pakistan continues to rely on its fraternal ECO countries to support the exercise of right to self-determination by the people of Kashmir in the light of relevant UNSC resolutions.
The Prime Minister underscored the importance of regional cooperation amongst the member states for promotion of trade, investment, connectivity, development of transport and communications infrastructure, and sustainable economic development.
He also invited international attention on the growing intolerance, xenophobia and Islamophobia and called for building political and legal deterrence against the abhorrent rise of Islamophobia while fostering mutual respect, interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence.