Pakistan would prefer appointment of OIC Secretary General on the basis of consensus rather than election, Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali told the Malaysian candidate for the said post.
Malaysian Ambassador Hashmy Bin Agam on Friday called on the Prime Minister to muster Pakistan's support for his candidature.
Prime Minister Jamali emphasised that "Pakistan would prefer that the OIC member states may appoint the new secretary general on the basis of consensus rather than election, in order to promote unity among their ranks", the Foreign Office spokesman said.
However, informed sources say that Pakistan has already committed its support to the Bangladeshi candidate for the OIC top slot. Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar gave the commitment early this week during his visit to Dhaka.
The new secretary general of the OIC will be appointed by the 31st meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers to be held in Istanbul on June 14-16.
The tenure of the incumbent secretary general will expire in December this year.
The Prime Minister underlined Pakistan's deep commitment to OIC objectives and in this context said that Pakistan would like to work in partnership with Malaysia, the current chairman of the 10th OIC summit, as effective and credible organisation capable of fulfilling the aspirations of the Muslim Ummah, the spokesman said.
Ambassador Agam conveyed the greetings of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to his Pakistani counterpart and also briefed him on the forthcoming ministerial meeting of NAM Committee on Palestine to be held on May 13 in Kuala Lumpur.
Agam also called on Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmud Kasuri "to seek support for his candidature".