Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, during his keynote address at the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-CFM), said that there was no link between Islam and terrorism.
Addressing the OIC foreign ministers at the Parliament House on Tuesday, the premier said that they, as the heads of Muslim nations, had failed to show the west that there was only one type of Islam. PM Khan said that there had never been a coherent response by the Muslim leaders which enhanced Islamophobia.
He further congratulated the foreign dignitaries as March 15 had been registered as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. He stated that the day also marked the date of a man attacking a mosque in New Zealand, killing dozens of Muslims.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for a collective response from the Muslim Ummah in order to deal with shared trials. He said the Muslim nations must unite for the rights of Muslims under occupation and conflicts. Qureshi said the Muslim world must urgently address the prevalent Islamophobia faced by Muslims.
The foreign minister also touched upon the issues of Palestine and the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the Muslims living there were languishing under detestable subjugation.
Moreover, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha called for intensive efforts by OIC members to deal with the numerous challenges affecting the Muslim Ummah.
Addressing the session, he said that the 48th session was held under the theme of ‘Partnership to build unity, justice and development’.
He said the OIC had not found a solution for the Kashmir issue for a very long time. He termed the Indian government’s acts of August 5, 2019 as a blatant violation of the UNSC resolutions. The secretary general also touched upon the Palestinian issue saying that its people were beset by illegal Israeli occupation and the forceful colonization of their lands.
In another development, the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in his video message, said that the United Nations and OIC enjoyed decades-old relationship centered on a shared belief on multilateral cooperation, dialogue and solidarity.
He said the two international bodies had collaborated to promote a culture of peace and understanding. The UN Secretary General said the UN and the OIC had cooperated in important areas including mediation, counter-terrorism and prevention of violent extremism.
Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday termed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference a “historic development”. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that General Bajwa said that the conference would bring the international community to a shared vision and joint strategy to find a solution to emerging challenges vital for peace and stability.
