SLAMABAD: Pakistan is hosting the 17th emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers today (Sunday) to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
The session was called at the request of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which serves as the OIC Summit Chair. Prime Minister Imran Khan will make the keynote address at today’s extraordinary session of Parliament House.
The meeting will begin with a remark by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who will chair the event.
The chair of the OIC conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud, will next address the delegates. This will be followed by a statement from Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary-General of the OIC, remarks on behalf of OIC Regional Groups (Asia, Africa, and Arab), and a statement from Dr Muhammad Al-Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank.
Late Saturday evening, a group from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia arrived. The mission was led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud. The guests were welcomed by Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati, SAPM on Interfaith Harmony Allama Tahir Ashrafi, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Bin Saeed Ahmed Al-Maliki, and top officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Several delegations, including foreign ministers, deputy foreign ministers, foreign secretary, and other senior government officials, have arrived in Islamabad from countries such as Turkey, Sierra Leone, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, and Palestine.
Interim Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is also in Washington for the special session.
The administration has finished all preparations at Parliament House in preparation for the OIC session, including the installation of red carpets and flower decorations in the halls to greet the guests.
Participants from the United Nations, international financial organisations, and several non-member governments, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the EU, are among the special invitees, in addition to foreign ministers and observers.