‘We have failed Kashmiris and Palestinians,’ Pakistan PM says at OIC summit
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take collective action to address challenges faced by the Muslim world, especially to ease the suffering of the people of occupied territories of Palestine and Kashmir.
“We have failed both the Palestinians and the people of Kashmir. I am sad to say that we have been able to make no impact at all” PM Khan said during the keynote address at the inaugural session of the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Tuesday.
“We [Muslims] are 1.5 billion people and yet our voice to stop this blatant injustice is insignificant.”
The Pakistan premier also congratulated the Muslims around the world on the UNGA’s resolution against Islamophobia, declaring March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
The 48th summit of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of OIC took place on Tuesday in the Parliament House, Islamabad where a number of international delegates and dignitaries including the non-OIC organizational members participated in the session.
Pakistan Foreign Minister’s opening speech:
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who also happens to be the chair of this summit, in his opening speech, noted that the prolonged foreign occupation along with the abominable subjugation faced by the Palestinians and Kashmiris in IIOJK is one of the major causes of resentment among the Muslims.
“More than two-thirds of all refugees worldwide come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Somalia,” he said while mentioning that Muslim countries are hosting the largest number of refugees [presently].
Mr. Qureshi highlighted the role of OIC in handling the challenges faced by the Muslim world today.
“It is a bridge amongst the Muslim countries and the international community,” he said, urging the OIC to forge a collective response for the rights of Muslims under occupation and conflicts with countries within and beyond the Ummah.
OIC chief and other delegates:
OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, President of Islamic Development Bank Dr. Muhammad Suleiman Al-Jasser also addressed the session. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wangi Yi also attended the session. A video message by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was also played at the conference.
OIC Secretary-General:
OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha expressed serious concerns over the plight of Palestinian and Kashmiri people in his address. He called for redoubling efforts in support of the Right to Self-Determination of Kashmiri people as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi:
OIC moot, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also spoke to the summit and lauded the support of the Islamic world in the United Nations.
“China can never forget the support of the Islamic world in the United Nations,” said Wang Yi. “China stands with the Palestinian people for a two-state solution,” he affirmed.
Talking about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Yi said that China supports negotiations between the two countries.
UN Secretary-General:
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his video message to the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting, , said the United Nations and OIC enjoy a decade-old relationship based on the shared belief on the values of multilateral cooperation, dialogue and solidarity.
He further added that across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, the two organizations have worked together to nurture a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.