Dar in Gambia to represent Pakistan at OIC summit

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said that he had arrived in Gambia to represent Pakistan at the 15th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit where he will raise the issues of Gaza and the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The summit, scheduled for May 4-5, is set to convene in Banjul.

In a statement on his official 'X' account, Dar said that he previously attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, where he participated alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Upon his arrival, Dar was received by Gambian Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Nani Juwara, as well as Pakistan's Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, and Ambassador of Pakistan to Senegal, also accredited to the Gambia, Saima Maymunah Sayed.

Dar's social media post also revealed his agenda for the summit, indicating his intention to engage in bilateral meetings with dignitaries representing member countries.

The Foreign Office spokesperson in a press release said that at the summit, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister would speak about Pakistan’s perspective on the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and

Kashmir, imperatives of solidarity and unity of the Ummah, rising Islamophobia, issues of climate change, terrorism and other contemporary global challenges.

He will underline the need to find collective solutions to challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah, it was further added.

On the sidelines, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister will hold bilateral meetings with leaders and foreign ministers participating in the summit.

It's worth noting that earlier this year in February, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened an "Extraordinary Session of Islamic Conference of Information Ministers" comprising member states.

During this session, the forum strongly condemned Israel's continued military aggression in Gaza, denouncing it as a systematic campaign of oppression, massacre, and genocide against Palestinian civilians.

Urging the international community to hold the Israeli authorities accountable for their actions, the forum reiterated its longstanding call for the realisation of the Palestinians' inherent rights, including their right to national independence and sovereignty over the State of Palestine.

The forthcoming OIC summit presents another crucial opportunity for member states to address the grave situation in Gaza and to articulate a united and resolute stance on the Palestinian issue.