Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a meeting with a delegation of Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) headed by newly-elected Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani. Director of Asian Affairs OIC Ali Aboulhassani Shareeza, Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Secretary to PM Javaid Aslam also attended the meeting.
Welcoming the distinguished guest, the Prime Minister stated that the Secretary General was assuming office at a time when the Muslim Ummah was beset by numerous challenges, both internal and external. He particularly highlighted the situation prevailing in Gaza, and shared with the Secretary General the deep anguish and concern of the people of Pakistan over the plight of their Palestinian brothers and sisters, particularly those living in Gaza, who were being subjected persistent and indiscriminate attacks by Israel for nearly a month. The Prime Minister noted with deep concern the mounting death toll, now touching 2,000. It was a matter of deep concern that the dead included hundreds of women and children, he added.
The Prime Minister also noted the massive destruction of infrastructure caused by the Israeli attacks, where not even schools and places of worship were spared. The Prime Minister said it was the time for the OIC to step forward as the voice of the Muslim Ummah and not only voice the outrage but also take concrete measures to help in the resolution of the present political and humanitarian crisis and also to help facilitate a long-term solution to the issue.
The Prime Minister placed Pakistan's services at the disposal of the OIC in this regard and said Pakistan was prepared to assist the OIC and the Muslim Ummah in any way and at any time in the furtherance of these goals. The Prime Minister also shared with the Secretary General a copy of the Resolution adopted by the National Assembly of Pakistan on August 4, regarding the situation in Gaza, stating that it highlighted the deep emotional attachment of the people of Pakistan to the people of Palestine.
The OIC Secretary General shared the PM's concerns and informed him of various measures that the OIC had taken or was taking to deal with the situation. He highlighted the leading role Pakistan had been playing in OIC and UN circles in the context of highlighting the crisis in Gaza. He specifically lauded Pakistan's contribution in the adoption of a resolution titled "Ensuring respect for International Law in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem" at the 21st Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on July 23, 2014. The Prime Minister and the Secretary General also discussed avenues of further co-operation between Pakistan and the OIC. The Secretary General noted Pakistan's contributions to the OIC, including in hosting the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Co-operation (Comstech). He looked forward to a successful OIC Summit on Science and Technology in the first quarter of 2015 in Islamabad.-PR