OIC FMs meet in Islamabad to discuss challenges faced by Muslim world
Pakistan
More than 100 resolutions will be considered during the two-day session.
ISLAMABAD (APP) - The inaugural session of the two-day meeting of the Council of the Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is underway as Pakistan is hosting its 48th session.
Prime Minister Imran Khan joined the gathering of the foreign ministers of the Muslim world at the session held at the Parliament House.
As the session started, the national anthem of Pakistan was played on the occasion.
The verses from the Holy Quran were recited. A short video of the OIC journey was screened on the occasion highlighting the Muslim unity as key to success.
Hassoumi Massoudou, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Niger and also the Chair of the 47th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in his speech focused on the objectives of OIC and emphasized the need for collaborated efforts to address the common challenges.
He handed over the Chair of the 48th session of the OIC-CFM to Pakistan represented by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
PM urges OIC countries to take united stand on various challenges facing Muslim Ummah
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Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the OIC countries to take a united stand on various challenges facing the Muslim Ummah including the longstanding issues of Palestine and Kashmir.
He said the Muslim countries should not drag themselves into bloc politics and rather show their power for bringing peace in the world.
The Prime Minister regretted that the Muslim Ummah have failed to make any impact for the resolution of Kashmir and Palestine disputes. Given our divisions, the oppressors do not take us seriously. He pointed out that regardless of our huge population bulge of 1.5 billion Muslims, our voice unfortunately has not been able to stop the blatant injustices against Kashmiris and Palestinians.
Imran Khan said the UN resolutions back the right of self-determination of Kashmiri and Palestinian people.
He said the international community promised the Kashmiris to decide their future, regretting that the special status was also taken away illegally by India on 5th August 2019. He said India is also changing the demographic structure of the occupied territory in complete contravention of the fourth Geneva Convention. He said India is doing so by bringing settlers from outside.
Regarding Afghanistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan said a stable Afghan government is the only way to stop international terrorism emanate from their soil. He urged the international community to help the Afghan people in sorting out their issues
The Prime Minister suggested the OIC play its role to stop conflict in Ukraine. He said the OIC, China and all the non-partisan countries should use their influence to resolve the crisis.
FM Qureshi urges OIC to forge collective response to meet challenges faced by Muslim Ummah
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In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged the OIC to forge a collective response to meet challenges faced by the Muslim Ummah.
He said the OIC is the collective voice of nearly two billion Muslims. It is a bridge amongst the Muslim countries and the international community. Promoting solidarity and cooperation within the Muslim Ummah is one of the central pillars of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
He said Pakistan’s overarching goal as chairman of the 48th session of the OIC meeting shall be to further solidify the cooperation amongst the Muslim countries.
Alluding to the situation in Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Muslims of Palestine and the occupied Jammu and Kashmir are still reeling under subjugation.
He said we must go beyond adopting resolutions and take concrete steps towards the permanent solutions of these disputes.
OIC Secretary General calls upon concerted efforts to tackle contemporary challenges
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Secretary General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha Tuesday stressed upon making of concerted efforts by all the OIC member states to tackle the various challenges being faced by the Muslim Ummah.
Addressing the inaugural session of the OIC-Council of Foreign Ministers, he said that the 48th session was being held under the theme of ‘Partnership to build unity, justice and development’, and called for making of the joint efforts to realize the collective objectives of the OIC.
About the Kashmir issue, he said it had not found solution for a very long time. Terming the Indian government’s acts of August 5, 2019 by changing the status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir as violations of the UNSC resolutions, he reiterated OIC’s call to support the rights of the Kashmiri people to self-determination in line with the resolutions of the UNSC.
The secretary general said that Palestinian people had been facing illegal Israeli occupation and the forceful colonization of their lands.
UN, OIC work together to nurture culture of peace: Antonio Guterres
UN Secretary General António Guterres, in his video message, said that the United Nations and OIC enjoy decade-old relationship based on shared belief on the values of multilateral cooperation, dialogue and solidarity.
He said our two organizations have worked together to nurture a culture of peace and understanding.
The UN Secretary General said in recent years, we have cooperated in key areas including mediation, counter-terrorism, preventing violent extremism, combating anti-Muslim hatred and promoting religious tolerance.
He said today it is imperative to join forces and devise common strategy to meet current challenges facing the world.
Antonio Guterres said we must reform the morally bankrupt global financing system. He said through joint efforts we can confront the challenges for a safer world.
The theme of the session is ‘Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development,’ which will be held at the Parliament House.
More than 100 resolutions will be considered during the two-day session.
The session coincides with the 75th anniversary celebrations of Pakistan’s independence.
On March 23, the visiting foreign ministers will visit the Pakistan Day parade venue and witness the professional capability of Pakistan’s armed forces and the traditional floats of all the provinces, reflecting the national unity.
Later in the day, Foreign Minister Qureshi along with OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha will hold a joint press stakeout following the conclusion of the session.
The summit will also discuss developments in Afghanistan and its humanitarian consequences for the Afghan people and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Many African issues will also be on the summit’s agenda, including the situation in Mali, the Sahel region, and Lake Chad, and the situation in Central Africa and the Republic of Guinea.
The OIC foreign ministers will also discuss developments in Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, and other regions during the summit.
Pakistan has a proud history of hosting major OIC events including Summits and Council of Foreign Minister (CFM) meetings. The country hosted the 2nd OIC Summit in Lahore, in February 1974. An Extraordinary OIC Summit was held in Islamabad in 1997, on the occasion of Pakistan’s Golden Jubilee.
Pakistan also hosted the OIC CFMs on four occasions – 2nd Session in December 1970, 11th Session in May 1980, 21st Session in April 1993 and the 34th Session in May 2007. The 1st and the 17th Extraordinary Sessions of the OIC CFM, were held in Islamabad, in January 1980 and December 2021, respectively.
