Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Sunday said OIC should play a proactive role in removing misperceptions about Islam and promote inter-faith harmony in the world. He was talking to OIC secretary-general Professor Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who met him at the Prime Minister House.
The Prime Minister said OIC should adopt the concept of enlightened moderation presented by President Pervez Musharraf, as it would be helpful in projecting true image and spirit of Islam and dispelling the misunderstandings about Islam and the Muslims in the world.
The Prime Minister and the OIC secretary-general also underlined the need to promote greater unity and harmony among the Muslim Ummah observing that need for unity is far greater today as compared to the past.
They said the Ummah must look towards itself rather than outside for progress and development especially in the fields of education, science and technology to accelerate human and scientific development in the Islamic countries.
Both the leaders also regretted and condemned recent incident of desecration of the Holy Quran, saying the incident was provocative and outrageous as it hurt Muslims' feelings.
The Prime Minister said Islam is not opposed to progress and innovation; rather it supports and encourages progress and development.
He congratulated the OIC secretary-general on successfully holding the meeting of OIC commission of eminent persons in Islamabad and expressed that the meeting was productive and will have far-reaching effects.
The OIC secretary-general thanked Pakistan for organising the meeting.