Islamabad: Representatives of 46 Muslim countries have so far confirmed their participation in the 48th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Islamabad.
Pakistan is hosting the 48th foreign minister’s conference on March 22-23, which coincides with the Pakistan Day parade held on March 23 every year. The OIC foreign ministers will be “guests of honour” at the parade.
“The foreign ministers of 46 Islamic countries confirmed their arrival,” Pakistani’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters.
Qureshi said “it is a great honour for Pakistan to host the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting” after the successful summit of OIC foreign ministers for an extraordinary session in Islamabad on Afghanistan in December 2021. The conference concluded with the launch of the OIC-led Humanitarian Trust Fund for Afghanistan and the appointment of OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Kabul.
Officials confirmed on Sunday that Pakistan has finalized the arrangements for the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM) meeting.
Pakistan’s foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood held a meeting with the heads of the resident OIC missions and shared the developments with regard to the 48th OIC-CFM session and briefed them on CFM programme.
“The 48th session holds special significance, since it coincided with the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence,” he said, adding that all the heads of delegation will be invited to witness the traditional Pakistan Day parade on March 23 as guests of honour.
The theme of the session — “Partnering for Unity, Justice, and Development” — represented Pakistan’s commitment to promoting unity within the Ummah, advancing the cause of justice for all Islamic peoples, and promoting inclusive and sustainable development for OIC member states, he said. “Guided by this vision, Pakistan will seek to build bridges of cooperation and partnerships amongst OIC member states and beyond.”
Pakistan has previously hosted four sessions of the OIC-CFM. The OIC is the second-largest intergovernmental organisation in the world after the UN with 57 Muslim member states spread across four continents.
