ISLAMABAD: The 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation started here Sunday at the National Assembly Hall with 20 foreign ministers and 10 deputy foreign ministers in attendance from across the Muslim world.
Convened by Saudi Arabia as OIC chair and being hosted by Pakistan, 70 delegates are participating in the historic session which would discuss the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Starting with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, the session is being chaired by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The extraordinary session of the OIC holds great significance as part of the growing international concern about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the urgent need to address it. Besides OIC Members and Observers, the UN system, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), international and regional organizations, and non-OIC members including the P-5, EU, and major countries like Germany and Japan, are among the other invitees.
At the inaugural session, Prime Minister Imran Khan will make a keynote address to highlight the situation and draw world attention towards the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the chair of the Extraordinary Session, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud, the OIC Summit Chair, Secretary-General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha would also address.
Moreover, the session would also mark the statements on behalf of OIC Regional Groups from Asia, Africa, and Arab, as well as President Islamic Development Bank Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser.
