OIC members states vow to deepen bilateral cooperation on economic, trade, defence sectors: Dar

Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that he represented Pakistan at the 15th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Banjul, The Gambia. Besides attending the OIC summit, he also held bilateral meetings with dignitaries from the member countries, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after his return, Dar said he was assigned with the task of attending the OIC meeting as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was stuck in his busy schedule in the country.

Expressing satisfaction with the visit said that OIC members reiterated their resolve to further deepen bilateral cooperation with a particular focus on economic, trade, and defence sectors.

Deputy Prime Minister said out of 11 OIC Groups, one Coordination group is for Kashmir Issue. He requested OIC Secretary General to convene the session of Coordination Group on Kashmir and a detailed session was held on the issue and its impact on the region.

During the meeting, Dar demanded that the sacrilegious content against Islam should be deleted on social media. Deputy Prime Minister said OIC Secretary General has also appointed Turkey's ambassador to Pakistan, Mehmet Pacacı, as the special representative of OIC on Islamophobia.

Foreign Minister said he met with Secretary General OIC and talked about issues of Palestine, Indian-held Kashmir and especially on Islamophobia.

During the conference, Dar told dignitaries that Pakistan resumption of the peace process for the realisation of a “viable, contiguous and sovereign” Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders.

On the occasion, Foreign Minister said October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas and the ensuing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and created a humanitarian crisis verging on famine.

Dar claimed that, in his address to the OIC, urged its member states to work together for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire and uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to the besieged Palestinians”.

On the behalf of the country, Deputy Prime Minister expressed Pakistan’s deep concern over Israel’s ongoing brutal bombardment of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Foreign Minister said he condemned the rising trend of Islamophobia, urging the OIC to formulate a joint strategy to work with global social media platforms to harmonise their application of content regulation policies for blasphemous, anti-Islamic and Islamophobic content.

The foreign minister also appreciated OIC’s appointment of a Special Envoy on Islamophobia.

Deputy Prime Minister underscored that the OIC can be important in global economic growth, urging the OIC to work collectively to address the existential threat of climate change which caused catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022. He also expressed Pakistan’s support to revitalize the UN system and reform the UN Security Council in order to make it more representative, democratic and effective for international peace and security.

Dar said during his address, he strongly condemned the surge in anti-Pakistan rhetoric and Islamophobic narratives in India by its politicians during the ongoing elections.

He highlighted that Pakistan continued to face externally sponsored terrorism from across its borders, despite contributing the most to the fight against terrorism.

Dar urged the OIC to implement its action plan on India-occupied Kashmir, demand that India end all human rights violations, release Hurriyat leaders, and reverse its illegal demographic and other unilateral laws.

He appreciated the OIC for its “principled support” for the Kashmir cause and requested to use their influence for urgent resolution of the India-occupied Kashmir as per relevant UN Security Council and the OIC resolutions.

Foreign Minister also said that during the visit, he and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reviewed the state of bilateral relations and emphasised the exceptional bonds of friendship between the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference in Banjul, The Gambia.