Despite the OIC CMF session being right around the corner, the matters between the opposition and the incumbent government continue to fume. After meeting the joint opposition, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari threatened to block the moot, but later the PPP and the Joint Opposition clarified their position on Bilawal’s call.
On 22 March (Tuesday) – on the eve of 82 years of the passage of the Pakistan Resolution – Islamabad is set to host the 48th meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers. The delegates, including the foreign ministers from the member countries of the 57-nation Muslim bloc would start arriving in federal capital on Monday (today).
The theme for this year is ‘Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development’ which fittingly encapsulates the OIC’s mandate for the conference which among other objectives includes discussions on provision of humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, combating Islamophobia, deliberations on the plight of the Palestinians and Kashmiris and recovery in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bilawal’s threatening call to block the OIC moot drew massive reaction from the government ranks and later the joint opposition was also forced to change their strategy and in a press statement, they said the opposition warmly welcomes the OIC guests and regardless of their differences with the PTI government they will not disrupt the international event and that was the reason they had changed the date of their long march to Islamabad.
Even though the OIC is criticised for not delivering on its promises, circumventing optics and, if viewed holistically, the OIC has made tremendous achievements over the years.
Through its subsidiary organs, the organisation encases, under its broader umbrella, various institutions that specialise and target various issues of concern for the Muslim Ummah. Examples include the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) and COMSTECH, which is the ministerial standing committee for scientific and technological cooperation and is chaired by the President of Pakistan.
As is human nature, high expectations have been attached to the OIC. What needs to be understood is that the OIC has limited political means.
Regardless of all the facts, it is a big achievement of Pakistan to hot the OIC CFM session on the historic day of Pakistan Day and the domestic politics should be kept aside for at least two or three days for the moot so that a loud and clear message can be given to the world from the OIC CFM forum.
