Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • OIC foreign ministers in Islamabad to reaffirm ‘longstanding solidarity’ with Palestine, Kashmir


OIC foreign ministers in Islamabad to reaffirm ‘longstanding solidarity’ with Palestine, Kashmir

Foreign Minister of Niger, Hassoumi Massoutou (2nd from L), Foreign Minister of Cote d’ Ivoire, Kandia Camara Nee Kamissoko (3rd from R), and Deputy Foreign Minister Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov (R) are seen together in Islamabad, March 21, 2022. (PID)
Short Url

https://arab.news/re8rw

Updated 21 March 2022
Follow

OIC foreign ministers in Islamabad to reaffirm ‘longstanding solidarity’ with Palestine, Kashmir

  • The OIC conference, themed as 'Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development,' will be held on March 22-23
  • PM Khan will deliver a keynote address at inaugural session, FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi will preside over it
Updated 21 March 2022
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The 48 session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad will reaffirm the “longstanding solidarity and support” of its membership with the people of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistani foreign office said late Sunday. 

Pakistan is hosting the session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on March 22-23, which is themed as "Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development." The meeting will coincide with the 75th Pakistan Day. 

The visiting dignitaries from OIC member and observer states will witness the Pakistan Day parade on March 23 as the "guests of honour." The parade is held every year to commemorate the Lahore Resolution that was adopted on the same day in 1940 and laid the foundation for a Muslim-majority state in South Asia. 

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will deliver a keynote address at the inaugural session of the conference on March 22, while Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will preside over the conference. 

"The CFM assumes special significance given the backdrop of opportunities and challenges before the Muslim world in the political, security, social and economic spheres," the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.  

"Apart from an appraisal of the global and regional landscapes, the CFM will inter alia reaffirm the longstanding solidarity and support of its membership with the people of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir; reiterate its resolve to combat rising Islamophobia; and discuss strategies to counter the effects of climate change, vaccine inequity and erosion in progress towards SDGs." 

The OIC session will review and assess the "grave human rights and humanitarian situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)," with the ministerial meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir taking place on the sidelines, the statement said. 

The ministerial meeting will take stock of the decisions taken at the 17th extraordinary session of the OIC-CFM held in Islamabad in December 2021 to address the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers will consider and adopt over 100 resolutions on a broad range of issues, including peace and security, economic development, cultural and scientific cooperation, and humanitarian, legal, administrative and financial matters. 

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi of the People’s Republic of China will attend the session as a special guest, while senior officials from non-OIC countries, senior representatives from the United Nations (UN) system, regional and international organizations, including the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will also participate, the foreign office said. 

As its founding member, Pakistan has been an ardent supporter of the OIC. Islamabad has played a seminal role in cementing the bonds of unity and solidarity, upholding respect for the principles of international law, and fostering economic, scientific and cultural partnerships. 

"The hosting of this CFM by Pakistan represents an enduring tradition of convening high-level OIC summits and ministerial meetings since the establishment of the organization," the statement read. "It also reflects the abiding commitment of the people of Pakistan to promote the bonds of Muslim fraternity and foster cooperative partnerships." 

Topics: OIC

Pakistan launches operation in Kurram district, sets up camps for displaced families

Updated 19 January 2025
Follow

Pakistan launches operation in Kurram district, sets up camps for displaced families

  • Tribal and sectarian clashes since Nov. 21 have killed at least 136 people in Kurram and caused medicine, food and fuel shortages
  • A senior police official says military will lead the operation in Kurram’s Bagan area, with police providing ‘second-tier support’
Updated 19 January 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have launched an operation to clear the northwestern Pakistani district of Kurram of militants, a senior police official said on Sunday, following months of unrest in the region.
Kurram, a district of around 600,000 people in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, has been rocked by tribal and sectarian clashes since November 21, when armed men attacked a convoy of Shia passengers, killing 52 people.
The attack sparked further violence and blockade of a main road connecting Kurram’s main town of Parachinar with the provincial capital of Peshawar, causing medicine, food and fuel shortages in the area, as casualties surged to 136.
The operation in Lower Kurram comes after the KP government announced the establishment of camps for temporarily displaced persons (TDPs), following an ambush on a supply convoy that killed 10 people on Thursday.
“The operation has commenced in Lower Kurram’s Bagan area and the sanitization process to clear the area is underway,” Abbas Majeed Marwat, the Kohat regional police officer (RPO), told Arab News.
“The military will lead the operation, with the police providing second-tier support through the Elite Force, regular police, and other security forces.”
Asked about the scale of the operation, Marwat said it was targeted at specific areas where militants were using hideouts to sabotage peace efforts.
“The operation will focus on certain pockets, particularly in Bagan and its adjacent areas,” he said.
Thursday’s ambush targeted a convoy of 33 vehicles set to resupply local traders in the region with rice, flour and cooking oil and two aid vehicles carrying essential medicine. It followed a similar attack on a supply convoy this month that injured five people, including a top administration official in the region.
The violence has continued despite a peace agreement signed between the warring tribes on Jan. 1. Under the peace agreement, both sides had agreed on the demolition of bunkers and the handover of heavy weapons to authorities within two weeks.
RPO Marwat said the operation aimed to target elements “embedded within the local community who were acting as spoilers.” He said authorities had completed arrangements for TDPs, while some families had already left the most affected areas to stay with their relatives elsewhere.
“The commissioner of Kohat and I visited the proposed sites for TDP camps in Hangu to inspect the administrative and security arrangements,” he told Arab News on Sunday.
“As of yesterday, more than 20 families had relocated [from Bagan] and more are leaving because the situation here remains critical.”
Separately on Sunday, the KP government announced action against militants in violence-hit areas of Kurram, following a high-level huddle in Peshawar.
“Action against few miscreants in the affected areas has become unavoidable and a decision has been made to take strict and indiscriminate action against miscreants,” said a statement issued from the office of KP government spokesperson Mohammad Ali Saif.
For the past three months, the statement said, the KP government had been working hard to restore peace and stability in Kurram, and a peace agreement was reached through a grand jirga in line with Pashtun traditions.
“A few miscreants in Kurram have attempted to sabotage the peace agreement,” it said, adding that the militants attempted to assassinate Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud, leaving him seriously injured, and were also targeting security personnel and supply convoys.
The statement said the government feared that the “miscreants” had infiltrated peaceful communities, and to protect peaceful citizens, they would be separated.
“Alternative housing arrangements have been made for the affected population,” it added.
Feuding tribes have battled with machine guns and heavy weapons in Kurram, cutting off the remote and mountainous region bordering Afghanistan from the outside world.
Provincial authorities have been supplying relief goods and transporting ailing and injured people from Kurram to Peshawar via helicopters since late last month.

Topics: kurram kurram district parachinar sectarian clashes militancy in Pakistan

Pakistan commerce minister arrives in Cambodia to hold bilateral trade talks

Updated 19 January 2025
Follow

Pakistan commerce minister arrives in Cambodia to hold bilateral trade talks

  • The development comes amid Pakistan’s push to revive its $350 billion economy since avoiding a default in June 2023
  • Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan will attend the inaugural Joint Trade Committee and Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh
Updated 19 January 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Sunday arrived in Cambodia on a three-day official visit to hold bilateral trade talks, his ministry said, amid Pakistan’s push for trade and investment.
The commerce minister will participate in the inaugural Joint Trade Committee and Ministerial Meeting in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, according to the Pakistani commerce ministry.
Upon arrival, Khan was received by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Cambodia Zaheer Uddin Baber Thaheem and Tith Rithipol, undersecretary of state from the Cambodian ministry of commerce.
“The visit aims to strengthen bilateral trade ties, explore new economic opportunities, and enhance cooperation between the two nations,” the Pakistani commerce ministry said in a statement.
“The meetings are expected to cover a range of topics, including trade facilitation, investment prospects, and market access.”
The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to revive its $350 billion economy since avoiding a default in June 2023. The South Asian country last year secured a new $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and has been actively pursuing trade and investment opportunities to put the economy on the path of recovery.
The Pakistani commerce ministry said Khan’s visit marked a “significant step” toward deepening economic engagement between Pakistan and Cambodia.
“Further discussions and agreements are anticipated during the visit,” it added.

Topics: Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan Pakistan Cambodia ties

Minister calls for strict measures to curb carbon emissions to deal with Pakistan smog crisis

Updated 19 January 2025
Follow

Minister calls for strict measures to curb carbon emissions to deal with Pakistan smog crisis

  • Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province experiences smog each year, with the provincial capital of Lahore ranking second among world’s most polluted cities on Sunday
  • Officials say smog is a byproduct of large numbers of vehicles, construction and industrial work as well as burning of crop residue at the start of winter season
Updated 19 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Sunday called for the enforcement of stringent policy measures to mitigate heat-trapping carbon emissions from vehicles in order to tackle the issue of smog, Pakistani state media reported.
Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province experiences dense smog each year, with the provincial capital of Lahore ranking second among the world’s most polluted cities on Sunday, according to Swiss air monitor IQAir.
Late last year, the province closed down schools and offices, banned outdoor activities and shortened timings for restaurants, shops and markets in a bid to contain the crisis.
The dangerous smog is a byproduct of large numbers of vehicles, construction and industrial work as well as burning of crop residue at the start of the winter wheat-planting season.
“Smog has emerged as a serious environmental and public health concern,” Tarar said as reported by Radio Pakistan, stressing the need to ensure conformity with Euro-5 or higher-grade fuels to improve the air quality and mitigate heat-trapping carbon emissions.
The comments came at a meeting of a committee to implement the National Climate Change Policy, aimed at steering Pakistan toward climate resilience and low carbon development.
Officials informed the participants that efforts had already been ramped up to transition the South Asian country to renewable energy sources, with significant investments in solar, wind, and hydropower projects.
“The government’s plan to achieve a 30 percent share of renewables in the energy mix by 2030 is well on track and all-out efforts are being made to promote Electric Vehicles to reduce the environmental impact of transportation,” they were quoted as saying.
Pakistan is among countries deemed most vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change, despite contributing less than 1 percent to global carbon emissions, according to officials. 
In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.

Topics: Azam Nazeer Tarar Pakistan Smog carbon emissions

Top Bangladeshi commander meets Pakistan Navy officials, discusses regional maritime security

Updated 19 January 2025
Follow

Top Bangladeshi commander meets Pakistan Navy officials, discusses regional maritime security

  • The development comes amid a thaw in relations between both nations since PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August
  • The two sides discussed joint military exercises, reciprocal visits and training exchange programs, Pakistan Navy says
Updated 19 January 2025
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Lt. Gen. SM Kamr-ul-Hassan, principal staff officer (PSO) of the Bangladesh armed forces division, on Sunday met senior Pakistan Navy officials and discussed with them regional maritime security cooperation, Pakistan Navy said.
Lt. Gen. Hassan toured Pakistan Navy ships and units during his visit to the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, according to the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy.
He met Pakistan Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Abdul Munib, Coast Commander Rear Admiral Faisal Amin and Managing Director of Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW) Rear Admiral Salman Ilyas.
“During these engagements, discussions focused on professional matters of mutual interests, including regional maritime security and bilateral defense collaboration,” the DGPR said in a statement.
“Various potential areas of cooperation were highlighted, such as joint military exercises, reciprocal visits, and training exchange programs between the two countries.”
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
In the years since, Bangladeshi leaders, particularly former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, chose to maintain close ties with India. Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since Hasina’s ouster as a result of a student-led uprising in August, witnessing a marked improvement.
“The visit of Lt. Gen. SM Kamrul Hassan is expected to further strengthen defense ties between the two brotherly nations, enhancing cooperation and solidifying the bonds between the armed forces of Pakistan and Bangladesh,” Pakistan Navy said.
Lt. Gen. Hassan, who is currently on a visit to Pakistan, this week met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir in Rawalpindi, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing. During the meeting, both military commanders stressed the need for an enduring partnership between the two countries to remain “resilient against external influences.”
Earlier in the day, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) said it would send two trade delegations to Bangladesh on Jan. 19-20 to increase bilateral relations and economic collaboration as both countries move to repair strained ties.
“The first delegation of dates comprising 13 exporters will leave for a week-long visit on Jan. 19 while the second delegation of citrus will leave for a business-to-business (B2B) meeting on Jan. 20,” the TDAP said.
The delegations will explore more trade opportunities, promote business partnerships and Pakistan’s export potential in the Bangladeshi market, it added.
The development comes days after the signing of a landmark agreement between Pakistan and Bangladeshi businesspersons to establish a joint business council between the two countries.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is also scheduled to visit Dhaka at the start of February to further consolidate the relations between the two countries.

Topics: Pakistan Bangladesh Ties Pakistan Navy

Pakistan to launch yuan-denominated Panda bonds by June, finance minister says

Updated 19 January 2025
Follow

Pakistan to launch yuan-denominated Panda bonds by June, finance minister says

  • The South Asian country intends to raise approximately $200 million from Chinese investors through Panda bonds
  • Muhammad Aurangzeb says the move is part of a strategy to achieve sustainability in Pakistan’s balance of payments
Updated 19 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said that Pakistan plans to launch yuan-denominated Panda bonds in June to enhance its presence in Chinese capital markets, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
The development follows an upgrade in Pakistan’s sovereign rating by all three major credit agencies. The country aims to get into the “single-B” category that would allow it to return to global bond markets to raise funds.
Aurangzeb said the South Asian country intends to raise approximately $200 million from Chinese investors through the issuance of the Panda bonds, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“This step is part of a broader strategy to transition Pakistan’s economy toward export-driven growth, with a focus on achieving sustainability in the country’s balance of payments,” he was quoted as telling Hong Kong’s TVB news channel.
The South Asian country is navigating a challenging economic recovery path and has been buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September. The government is optimistic it will meet the terms of the program.
Pakistan is being advised on the issuance of Panda bonds by the China International Capital Corporation, a partially state-owned financial services company, according to the finance minister. However, the latest figure is lower than the $300 million targeted by Pakistan last year.
Aurangzeb extended an invitation to Hong Kong to send delegations to explore trade and financial opportunities in Pakistan, according to the Radio Pakistan report.
“Hong Kong could serve as a strategic hub for joint ventures between Chinese and Pakistani companies,” he said.
To revive its $350 billion economy, Pakistan has been making efforts to position itself as a regional trade and transit hub by leveraging its strategic geopolitical position.
The South Asian country has witnessed a flurry of visits, investment talks and economic activity involving officials from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, China and Central Asian nations in recent months.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties Pakistan economy

Latest updates

Biden urges Americans to ‘keep the faith’ as he spends final full day as president in South Carolina
Trump draws thousands to Washington rally for a pre-inauguration victory lap
World Economic Forum begins in Davos amid hope and uncertainty
Swiss police clear hundreds of anti-Davos protesters
Heavy snow and frigid Arctic blast put 70 million across the US under winter storm warnings

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.