King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has said the Makkah summit has opened a new chapter in the history of the Muslim Ummah. President General Pervez Musharraf was the first major Muslim leader to address a comprehensive press conference in the conference centre at the Al-Safa Palace.
The Saudi Arabian culture and information minister Al-Madani praised the stand taken by President Musharraf and told the Pakistani President was a very valuable leader of the Muslim Ummah.
He added Pakistan enjoyed great esteem among Muslim nations and also at the international level. In fact almost all delegations at the OIC summit have lauded the fact that Pakistan is a great source of strength for the Muslim world.
However, since all sessions of the OIC summit were behind closed doors except the opening and closing one, details of the address by different heads of states did not find ready release from the Media centre.
Yet, when General Pervez Musharraf held his press conference, it was attended by a record crowd of newsmen.
The explanation given on ties with Israel by the President evoked a loud welcome from Arab journalists when he said that any recognition of Israel will be subject to the solution of the Palestinian issue and the emergence of a Palestinian state with headquarters in Al Quds. Only after such a development would follow the normalisation of ties with Israel.
President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines also met many heads of delegations and specially explained the Pakistan's position in support of Palestinian rights.
President Musharraf also succeeded in projection the correct stand of Pakistan on the Kashmir issue and his demand for demilitarisation of occupied Kashmir and end to atrocities there by India was adopted unanimously in the final Makkah declaration.