On the 17th session of the emergency meeting of the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Pakistan, the members pledged to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan as the country is facing a financial crisis.
The crisis is causing alarm with billions of dollars in aid and assets frozen by the international community after the Taliban takeover of the country in August this year, reports said.
The speakers on the occasion were Speaking at the opening were Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Pakistani Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – the Chair of the 14th Session of the Islamic Summit, Hissein Ibrahim Taha, the OIC Secretary-General, and Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, the Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group, the organization said in a statement.
The Secretary-General extended his sincere thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chair of the 14th Session of the Islamic Summit, for its initiative to call for holding this important meeting, as part of its firm commitment to support solidarity and joint Islamic action, it said.
He also extended his sincere thanks to the government and people of Pakistan for hosting the meeting, and for the generous hospitality extended to the participants, reiterating its full commitment to supporting the causes of the Islamic Ummah and its keenness on promoting peace and security in the region.
In his speech, the Secretary General called upon all the Afghan parties to work to advance the interest of the Afghan people, protect lives, renounce violence, and establish lasting peace, in order to fulfill the aspirations and hopes of the Afghan people for stability, decent living, and prosperity.
He stressed in this regard the OIC’s support to the peace process in Afghanistan and expressed the Organization’s willingness to cooperate with the international and regional efforts aimed at achieving peace for the Afghan people, to harness its capabilities to achieve pace, security, and stability in Afghanistan, and to make the necessary contacts in this regard.
Taha emphasized that the role of the OIC’s role in providing humanitarian aid has become more necessary than ever before, given the scale of the increasing humanitarian challenges facing the Afghan people.
In this regard, he called for strengthening the role of the OIC Mission in Kabul and to provide it with the financial, human, and logistical resources so that it could assume its full responsibilities in coordinating humanitarian and development support operations for the Afghan people. He also urged member states and institutions of the Organization to provide humanitarian assistance through the organization’s mission, the statement said.
On the political front, the Secretary-General stated that the Organization reiterates the importance of concerted efforts to combat militancy and acts of violence in Afghanistan, and to ensure that the Afghan territories are not used as a platform or haven for militant organizations, the statement ends.
Earlier, OIC members were accorded a warm welcome by legendary Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi prior to the special meeting in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Sunday.
Delighted to have #OICInPakistan, a very warm welcome to all delegates. Let's come together to uplift Muslim communities across the globe & stand with our brethren in #Afghanistan at their time of need. As a Muslim never leaves his brother alone in crucial times. pic.twitter.com/NKJusAp3Ll
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) December 19, 2021
“Delighted to have #OICInPakistan, a very warm welcome to all delegates. Let’s come together to uplift Muslim communities across the globe & stand with our brethren in #Afghanistan at their time of need. As a Muslim never leaves his brother alone in crucial times,” Afridi tweeted.
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