Prime Minister Imran Khan delivers spell-binding speech; calls upon Muslim countries be united against Western propaganda; terms Islamophobia day a landmark achievement

Ansar M Bhatti

ISLAMABAD: The OIC countries on Tuesday resolved to continue supporting the just causes of people of Palestine and Kashmir. The OIC also pledged to counter effectively the Western narrative about Islamophobia.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan in his speech reiterated Pakistan’s stand on Palestine and Kashmir adding the OIC countries need to do some practical steps in order to get these issues resolved sooner rather than later.

While speaking on the 48^th session of Foreign Ministers, the Prime Minister further said the world never takes us seriously especially on the issue of Palestine and Kashmir. They believe the OIC countries are only good at issuing statements and when it comes to doing something practical they simply fail.

The Prime Minister further said Palestinian people were being stripped off their rights in the broad day light yet the organization of 1.5 billion people was still unmoved. He added, similarly that India chose to change the status of Kashmir in flagrant violation of all UN resolutions but unfortunately the OIC could not take a united stand on this. He said our complacency in fact encourages the opponents continue with their anti Muslim posture.

He said the international community promised the Kashmiris to decide their future, regretting that the special status was also taken away illegally by India on 5th August 2019.  He said India is also changing the demographic structure of the occupied territory in complete contravention of the fourth Geneva Convention.  He said India is doing so by bringing settlers from outside.

Regarding Afghanistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan said a stable Afghan government is the only way to stop international terrorism emanate from their soil. He urged the international community to help the Afghan people in sorting out their issues

The Prime Minister suggested the OIC play its role to stop conflict in Ukraine. He said the OIC, China and all the non-partisan countries should use their influence to resolve the crisis.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha Tuesday stressed upon concerted efforts by all the OIC member states to tackle various challenges being faced by the Muslim Ummah.

Addressing the inaugural session of the OIC-Council of Foreign Ministers, he said that the 48th session was being held under the theme of ‘Partnership to build unity, justice and development’, and called for making of the joint efforts to realize the collective objectives of the OIC.

About the Kashmir issue, he said it had not found solution for a very long time. Terming the Indian government’s acts of August 5, 2019 by changing the status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir as violations of the UNSC resolutions, he reiterated OIC’s call to support the rights of the Kashmiri people to self-determination in line with the resolutions of the UNSC.

The secretary general said that Palestinian people had been facing illegal Israeli occupation and the forceful colonization of their lands.

Condemning the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, he said Israeli actions were stark negation of the international laws and the UN resolutions for the peaceful settlement of the issue, by protecting the Palestinian rights to life and land.

About the issue of Afghanistan, he emphasized upon further efforts to bring stability and peace. He termed the establishment of Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund on the margin of the OIC-CFM session as another effort by the member states for the financial and humanitarian support to the Afghan people.