ISLAMABAD, MAR 4: Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood received Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, the Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary-General on Afghanistan, today.

Ambassador Bakheet is on an official visit to Pakistan following his appointment as Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary General during the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM), in Islamabad, on 19 December 2021.

The Special Envoy expressed his deep gratitude to Pakistan for the steadfast support extended to him eversince his appointment to the Office. He briefed the Foreign Secretary on his efforts to galvanize international support to help address the grave humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The Special Envoy stated that the OIC’s leadership on this critical issue was being widely acknowledged internationally. The Special Envoy underscored his strong commitment to continue working with OIC Member States and Afghanistan’s international partners to ensure well-being and prosperity for the Afghan people.

Extending a warm welcome to the Special Envoy, the Foreign Secretary assured him of Pakistan’s full support in the fulfillment of his mandate. The Foreign Secretary stressed the need to sustain the momentum generated during the 17th Extraordinary Session in Islamabad. He noted that early operationalization of the OIC’s Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund, strengthening of the OIC Mission in Kabul, and constructive engagement with Afghanistan and its international partners was critical in alleviating the severe humanitarian crisis faced by the people of Afghanistan, and to provide them with sustainable economic opportunities.

The Foreign Secretary underscored that Pakistan was looking forward to the Special Envoy’s Report to the 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, scheduled for 22-23 March 2022, in Islamabad.