OIC secretary general due in Pakistan on December 10

Secy, FM Bhutto to discuss on OIC agenda including Kashmir dispute, Islamophobia, and Afghan humanitarian situation

ISLAMABAD:

The secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, will lead a five-member delegation to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir from December 10 - 12, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

The visit, taking place at the invitation of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will be his first country visit since assuming office in November 2021.

During the trip, the secretary general will call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and hold a delegation-level meeting with the foreign minister.

The OIC secretary-general will also meet with the minister of Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan affairs, the minister of information technology, and the minister of commerce. He will also visit Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the FO, during the bilateral talks, Taha and FM Bhutto will discuss inter alia issues on the agenda of the OIC including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Islamophobia, and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

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“It will also be an opportunity to exchange views on vital issues of economic, social, and technological cooperation among OIC member countries,” the FO said, adding that Pakistan as a founding member of OIC would continue to make efforts to promote Islamic solidarity, unity, and dialogue in the organisation.

The Foreign Office maintained that as the Chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers, Pakistan has worked towards fully activating the OIC peace and security architecture to resolve disputes and conflicts, established the OIC Trust Fund to channel dire humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, provided a leadership role to address the abhorrent phenomena of Islamophobia and promoted cooperation between OIC member states in the domain of trade, commerce, food security, science, and technology.

“The secretary general’s visit will enable an exchange of views on how OIC can galvanize itself further to deliver on the aspirations of 1.9 billion Muslims that it represents,” it said.