By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday said he will not attend OIC’s Council of Foreign Minister’s meeting due to India’s participation
He was briefing the joint sitting of the parliament called in the wake of confrontation with India.
The 46th session of the OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers is being hosted by the UAE in Abu Dhabi on March 1-2, under the title “50 Years of Islamic Cooperation: Road Map for Prosperity and Development.”
“A lower-level delegation from Pakistan will attend the OIC session in order to present Pakistan’s 19 resolutions that also include the human rights violations and persecution of Kashmiris in Indian-occupied Kashmir,” Qureshi said.
The delegation will also staunchly oppose any move to grant observer status to India at the OIC.
The minister said OIC meeting is taking place today in Abu Dhabi, adding that he had requested the UAE to review the decision to invite India to the OIC.
“”I requested UAE to either postpone the meeting, or the body should review its decision to invite India,” he said.
“India is neither a member , nor an observer,” the minister said.
The minister said the UAE, which always stood by Pakistan in difficult times, informed him that the invitation to India was extended before the Pulwama attack took place.
The foreign minister also briefed the house about his contacts with UN Secretary General, Turkish, Russian and diplomats from other countries.
Pakistan is founding member of Organization for Islamic Cooperation (formerly Organization of Islamic Conference) since it was formed in 1969.
