• FM Bilawal calls upon the int’l community to make joint efforts to resolve Kashmir and Palestine issues.
• Pakistan attaches high priority to the OIC, says the foreign minister. 
• He requests the OIC to continue playing its effective role regarding Kashmir.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday called upon the global community to make joint efforts to resolve Kashmir and Palestine issues — the longstanding items on the UN agenda — peacefully and in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Addressing a joint presser with Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha, the foreign minister said that Pakistan’s grateful to the OIC sec-gen for undertaking his first bilateral visit to Pakistan.

He expressed the hope that his visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir would send a message to the entire world that the entire Ummah stands united with the people of IIOJK.

“It will be a stark reminder to the UN and the international community about the long-standing unfinished agenda’ which required global community’s collective efforts for a peaceful resolution.

About his meeting with the OIC secretary general, the foreign minister said that they held a fruitful exchange of views on different issues confronting the Muslim Ummah.

He said Pakistan attached high priority to the OIC as it had been a collective voice of 57 Muslim countries, the second largest world’s multilateral forum, adding Pakistan firmly supported and deeply appreciated the OIC’s role in ensuring social, political and economic interests of the Muslim ummah.

In his meeting earlier, the foreign minister said during the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) moot, the OIC member states had unanimously condemned the Indian actions and stressed taking steps in line with the UNSC resolutions and in accordance with the people of Kashmir to resolve the issue peacefully.

The foreign minister said that Islamophobia was the other issue of concern which had been on the rise across the world and Pakistan had encouraged the designation of the OIC special envoy to address it.

About Afghanistan, FM Bilawal said that they had discussed the issues of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, and the outcome of the important decisions taken during the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting like setting up an Afghan humanitarian fund and functioning of the special envoy and the OIC mission.

Expressing his satisfaction, the foreign minister said a new OIC office had been opened in Kabul and appreciated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s donations to the Afghan fund.

He said the people of Afghanistan had been facing dire humanitarian crises and looking towards the OIC and expressed that Pakistan was hopeful under the OIC SG, those steps would have positive impacts on the humanitarian scenario in Afghanistan.

Reiterating Pakistan’s stance over the Palestine issue, Bilawal said “Pakistan stands shoulders to shoulders with the Palestinian brothers and sisters” and fully supported the OIC and global community’s efforts to resolve the issue.

The foreign minister further informed that Pakistan would be convening OIC trade fair in Lahore next year.

Addressing the press conference, Taha said that for more than four decades, the OIC had been helping and supporting the efforts of Pakistan for the peaceful resolution of the IIOJK issue.