PM welcomes OIC delegates, says conference show of solidarity with Afghan people

Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday welcomed the delegation from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states for the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC, slated to take place at Parliament House on Sunday.

The session is being convened at the insistence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the OIC Summit Chair.

Taking to Twitter, the premier wrote: “I welcome delegations from OIC mbr states, observers, friends, partners & int orgs to Pakistan. The extraordinary session of OIC CFMs is an expression of solidarity with the Afghan ppl & to focus our collective energies on addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.”

I welcome delegations from OIC mbr states, observers, friends, partners & int orgs to Pakistan. The extraordinary session of OIC CFMs is an expression of solidarity with the Afghan ppl & to focus our collective energies on addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 18, 2021

PM Imran Khan said that he is looking forward to addressing the delegations tomorrow (Sunday). PM is scheduled to give his keynote address during the conference. He also wrote messages both in Urdu and English languages.

پاکستان آمد پر میں او آئی سی رکن ممالک سےوفود،مبصرین، رفقاء اور شراکت داروں کاخیرمقدم کرتاہوں۔او آئی سی کی کونسل برائےوزرائےخارجہ کاغیرمعمولی اجلاس افغان عوام سےیکجہتی کےاظہار اور ہماری اجتماعی توانائیوں کے افغانستان میں پیداشدہ سنگین انسانی بحران کےحل پر ارتکاز کی ایک علامت ہے۔

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 18, 2021

All arrangements have been finalised at the Parliament house ahead of the OIC session. Red carpets and floral arrangements have been laid out in the corridors to welcome the guests.

Besides the foreign ministers from the OIC member states and observers, participants will also include special invitees from the United Nations, international financial institutions, and some non-member states, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the EU.

Earlier, speaking to the media at the Parliament House after examining the arrangements, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan’s stance on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan is gaining recognition with the world joining its voice

The top Pakistan diplomat said he is confident that Pakistan, along with foreign ministers of OIC states, will move a step forward in building that consensus. Qureshi said from the very first day, Pakistan told the world about the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and that the situation could also lead to an economic collapse if the banking system remained dysfunctional for long.