Daily Times

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Sunday said an emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been convened on March 22 in Istanbul to express solidarity with the New Zealand attack victims.

He said Turkey being the chair of the OIC floated the idea of convening the session and Pakistan seconded it. The meeting will express solidarity with the New Zealand attack victims and mull a strategy to address the root causes of growing Islamophobia in the West and its implications for Muslims around the world.

The minister said nine Pakistani nationals have been confirmed martyred in the deadly incident with one more being in critical condition and treated at a hospital. Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner in New Zealand Moazam Shah is in contact with his family, he added.

Qureshi said in telephonic conversation with New Zealand’s foreign minister, the latter told that the identification of bodies has been completed and the process of their handing over to respective families will begin soon. The Pakistan High Commission in New Zealand is extending all-out support to the affected Pakistani nationals, he added.

He said the families of six martyred Pakistanis wanted to bury their dead in New Zealand while those of the rest three want to bring the bodies back to Pakistan.

To a question, Qureshi said he will write a letter to all the parliamentary leaders to take them into confidence on the implementation of National Action Plan. He said the leaders will be invited for a meeting on March 28 at the Parliament House to seek their opinions and guidance to move forward in the backdrop of the Pulwama incident.

He said he has held telephonic contacts with Pakistan People’s Party leader Asif Ali Zardari and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, who have assured their cooperation on all issues of national interest and security.

To a question, he said China has once again proved to be a sincere friend by supporting Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council in the recently held meeting.

During his China visit, he said further consultation will be held with the Chinese leadership to discuss the future strategy on the regional situation.

Published in Daily Times, March 18^th 2019.