Confident OIC meeting will reach consensus on Afghanistan: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Saturday that countries participating in the 17th extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers will be able to reach a consensus regarding Afghanistan.

A meeting of senior officials of the OIC countries will be held in Islamabad today to discuss the agenda of the OIC session scheduled to be held Sunday.

Speaking to the media, the FM said around 437 delegates have so far got themselves registered for the OIC meeting. He said the aim of this conference is to divert the attention of the international community towards the crisis in Kabul.

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"Tomorrow’s meeting will be a very important and historic. We are at threshold of the history. If we take a right step, it can bring in regional, peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan," he said.

"God forbids, if we showed negligence, or did not take a timely decision, then Afghanistan can face a new crisis."

Qureshi further said that the Afghan people were facing a new test and the world should not ignore them. He added that a lot of voices were joining Pakistan, calling for improving the situation in Kabul.

He said that around 11 Nato commanders who had served in Afghanistan were also pointing towards the crisis in Afghanistan.

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"Those ambassadors, who have served in Kabul and are aware of the ground realities, are making the world aware [of the situation] and saying it is their opinion that Biden administration should review its policy to protect humanity and millions of Afghans in whom the US and the West have invested so much, for their capacity building, training and to shore up their economy," he said.

Foreign dignitaries arrive in Pakistan

Over 90 foreign delegates have arrived in Pakistan for the OIC session.

Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Bosnia Dr Bisera Turkovic, Foreign Minister of Malaysia Saifuddin Abdullah, Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Nuryshev Shakhrat arrived in the country on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha and Special Representative of the Government of Germany to Afghanistan and Pakistan Jasper Weick are also in the country to participate in the moot, as per the Foreign Office of Pakistan.