OIC CFMs: Chinese, US envoys attend extraordinary session; Afghan FM not part
The OIC CFM has begun in Islamabad which is also being attended by China and US, however, Afghan FM is not participating in the session.
ISLAMABAD: The 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) has begun in Islamabad which is being attended by member states alongside China and the United States (US), however, the Afghan foreign minister is not participating in the extraordinary session.
Alongside the 57 member states, the OIC CFMs extraordinary session is also being attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, however, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is not part of the event.
Both dignitaries from China and the US have held meetings with the Pakistani top officials on the sidelines of the OIC CFMs session. Moreover, the video message of Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres was shown on the occasion.
Azeemi to represent Afghanistan
Afghan Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokesman Hafiz Zia Takal told the English daily, Dawn, that a ministry official named Muhammad Akbar Azeemi will lead the Taliban government’s team at the two-day moot in Islamabad.
There had been a lot of debate over Muttaqi’s participation in the last OIC moot in Islamabad when he was missing in the foreign ministers’ group photo while the Afghan seat had remained vacant.
Muttaqi was sitting in the last rows of guests, according to the report. This time around, the Taliban government has downgraded the level of its participation in the OIC summit by sending an Afghan foreign ministry official rather than its minister, it added.
FM Qureshi for Afghanistan situation
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called for a collective response of the Muslim Ummah to address common challenges under the theme of Partnering for Unity, Justice, and Development.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said to forge a Partnership for Development, the OIC countries must mobilize international support for a comprehensive strategy for vaccine equity regarding Covid-19, increased development financing, accelerated climate action, and resolute action against illicit financial flows. He also called for promoting trade, research and technological innovation in the Muslim world.
Drawing attention toward the evolving situation in Afghanistan, he said addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and preventing a collapse of the Afghan economy must remain our top priorities. He said we must also encourage and support the efforts of the Afghan authorities to eliminate DAISH and other terrorist groups like TTP, ETIM, IMU, and Al-Qaida, Radio Pakistan reported.
The Foreign Minister said we must guard against spoilers that wish to continue destabilizing Afghanistan and using its territory to promote terrorism. A peaceful, stable, inclusive, prosperous and connected Afghanistan is in the best interest of us all.
100 resolutions to be tabled
More than 100 resolutions will be considered during the two-day session.
The summit will also discuss developments in Afghanistan and its humanitarian consequences for the Afghan people and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, it added.
The OIC foreign ministers will also discuss developments in Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, and other regions during the summit.
Many African issues will also be on the summit’s agenda, including the situation in Mali, the Sahel region, and Lake Chad, and the situation in Central Africa and the Republic of Guinea, according to the state news agency.
