NIAMEY: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday night met Secretary-General of Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen in Niamey.
According to a statement, the meeting took place in the run-up to the 47th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM). The OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy on IOK Ambassador Yousef Al-Dodeay, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the OIC, and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
During the meeting, both the personalities exchange views on a wide range of issues including rising Islamophobia, the situation in IIOJK and Palestine, and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that Pakistan, as a founding member of the OIC, attached utmost importance to the Organization as the sole and most prominent voice of the Muslim Ummah.
FM Qureshi also conveyed Pakistan’s deep concern at the aggravating human rights and humanitarian situation in IIOJK and India’s moves to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory, in clear violation of UN resolutions and international laws.
He expressed appreciation at the OIC’s consistent and historic support for the Kashmir cause. The foreign minister also apprised the secretary-general about the initiative by Pakistan for the adoption of a resolution on Islamophobia by the 47th CFM.
On the occasion, the Secretary-General reaffirmed OIC’s steadfast support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and also appreciated Pakistan’s role as a founding and active member of the OIC.
The Secretary-General also shared his perspective on the issue of Islamophobia and apprised that the latest report of OIC’s Islamophobia Observatory was also due to be released at the CFM.
