Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi reiterated the need for Muslim countries to forge a collective response to meet challenges faced by the Muslim Ummah.
In his opening remarks at the 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, the foreign minister said 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.
Qureshi further stated that 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.
He mentioned that the Muslim world was facing conflicts in the Middle East, prolonged foreign occupation, and the denial of the right to self-determination, most notably to the people of Palestine and Kashmir.
“The Muslim world’s resentment is increasing due to frequent external interventions in Muslim countries,” he said.
He pointed out that left unaddressed, these conflicts and disputes undermined the unity and solidarity of OIC countries, exposed the countries to foreign interference and intervention, fueled terrorism and extremism, and deflected attention from development goals.
“We must go beyond adopting resolutions and take concrete steps towards the permanent solutions of these disputes,” he underscored.
FM Qureshi emphasized partnering for development by effectively addressing the triple global crises of COVID-19, development, and climate change.
The foreign minister proposed convening an OIC Ministerial Conference during 2022-2023 to assess the need for establishing a peace and security architecture akin to all other regional organisations.
He said Pakistan stood ready to play its part as a bridge-builder in promoting regional and OIC-driven solutions to internal conflicts.
He said it was a matter of pride for us to host this meeting in 2022 which marked the 75th Anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.
“Promoting solidarity and cooperation within the Muslim Ummah is one of the central pillars of Pakistan’s foreign policy. As Chair of the OIC-CFM during 2022-23, Pakistan’s overarching goal shall be to solidify this bridging role further,” he said.
He commended the leadership role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the OIC Summit Chair.
He also highlighted the collective recent achievements including holding the CFM on Afghanistan, establishing the OIC Humanitarian Trust Fund appointment of Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary General and launch of Afghanistan Food Security Programme.
He mentioned Pakistan role in strengthening OIC’s presence in Afghanistan by reinforcing the OIC Mission in Kabul.
Welcoming the recent designation of March 15 as the “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” by the UN General Assembly, he said Pakistan was gratified to have played its role in garnering consensus on this important issue.
“Through the observance of this Day, the OIC will enhance greater global awareness of Islamophobia and advance solutions through collective action,” he said.
He said the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, based in Karachi, is galvanizing investment, influencing policy-making and undertaking initiatives for the development of the private sector.
The foreign minister said Pakistan was witnessing unprecedented turbulence at the global level, adding that conflict in Ukraine which had rekindled East-West tensions, threatens international peace and security.
Qureshi regretted that even after 50 years of the OIC’s establishment, the organisation was far from seeing justice for Muslims in many parts of the world.
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