Daily Times

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday said that the issues of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine had been the unfinished agenda of the United Nations and stressed upon the international community to work together to resolve them peacefully in accordance with the UNSC resolutions.

Addressing a joint presser with Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha, the foreign minister said that they were grateful to the GS OIC for undertaking his first bilateral visit to Pakistan. He expressed the hope that his visit to Azad Kashmir would send a message to the entire world that the entire Ummah stood united with the people of IIOJK. “It will be a stark reminder to the UN and the international community about the long-standing unfinished agenda’ which required global community’s collective efforts for peaceful resolution,” he said.

About his meeting with the OIC secretary general, the minister said that they held fruitful exchange of views on different issues confronting the Muslim Ummah. He said Pakistan attached high priority to the OIC as it had been a collective voice of 57 Muslim countries, the second largest world’s multilateral forum, adding Pakistan firmly supported and deeply appreciated OIC’s role for ensuring social, political and economic interests of the Muslim ummah.

During his meeting, the foreign minister said that he had highlighted the human rights violations committed by India in the IIOJK, and requested the OIC to continue playing its effective role over revoking of Indian illegal and unilateral steps on IIOJK and resolution of IIOJK issue in accordance with the UNSC and OIC resolutions. He said that during Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) meeting, the OIC member states had unanimously condemned the Indian actions and stressed for taking of steps in line with the UNSC resolutions and in accordance with the people of Kashmir to resolve the issue peacefully.

The foreign minister said that Islamophobia was the other issue of concern which had been on the rise across the world and Pakistan had encouraged designation of the OIC special envoy to address it.

About Afghanistan, Bilawal said that they had discussed the issues of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, and the outcome of the important decisions taken during the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting like setting up an Afghan humanitarian fund and functioning of special envoy and the OIC mission. Expressing his satisfaction, the minister said a new OIC office had been opened in Kabul and appreciated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s donations for the Afghan fund. He said the people of Afghanistan had been facing dire humanitarian crises and looking towards the OIC and expressed that Pakistan was hopeful under the OIC SG, those steps would have positive impacts upon the humanitarian scenario in Afghanistan.

Reiterating Pakistan’s stance over Palestine issue, Bilawal said, “Pakistan stands shoulders to shoulders with the Palestinian brothers and sisters” and fully supported the OIC and global community’s efforts to resolve the issue.

The minister further informed that Pakistan would be convening OIC trade fair in Lahore next year. Addressing the press conference, Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha said that for more than four decades, the OIC had been helping and supporting the efforts of Pakistan for the peaceful resolution of the IIOJK issue. During the 48th session of Council of FMs, the OIC had criticised the illegal and unilateral steps of India over Jammu and Kashmir, adding the organisation had urged India to revoke its decisions.