ISLAMABAD: The 2-day 48th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation today started in the Parliament House in Islamabad.
The theme of the 48th summit is “Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development” and more than 100 resolutions will be considered during the two-day session.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, in his keynote address, Khan will highlight the role and contributions of Pakistan towards the OIC and the challenges the Muslim world is facing.
Moreover, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will also deliver a statement which will be followed by the election of bureau members. Once the bureau members are elected, the OIC chair will be handed to Pakistan.
The session will be addressed by the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, Islamic Development Bank President Muhammad Suleiman Al-Jasser, Chinese State Councilor and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wangi Yi.
Meanwhile, a video message by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres will be shown on the occasion.
The 48th OIC session coincides with the celebrations of Pakistan Day on March 23.
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, it added.
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.
