The OIC Conference: An Authentication To Pakistan’s Diplomatic Posture – OpEd

48^th Conference of Foreign Ministers of OIC has concluded in Islamabad last week setting up an optimistic tone for the resolution of key issues that the Islamic world is facing right now. The conference was mainly aimed at growing tensions in the backdrop of Afghanistan, Kashmir, Palestine, and other contemporary regional and international issues along with a motive of further strengthening the bonds of unity and solidarity among the member States. Considering Pakistan’s expectancies, the conference can be designated as a massive accomplishment and a success to its foreign policy.

The conference witnessed robust participation by 800 foreign delegates, 46 ministerial-level participants along with many regional and global organizations, and Chinese FM as a special guest. The event managed to adopt nearly 140 resolutions on the entire range of political, security, humanitarian, economic, social, legal, and financial issues. Out of 140, twenty resolutions sponsored by Pakistan were regarding Muslim minorities, Islamophobia, Arms Control, Terrorism, Covid-19 response, Illicit Financial Flows, Corruption, and OIC Reforms.

It is a well-established fact that India has long been striving hard to isolate Pakistan diplomatically, but by convening the OIC conference in Islamabad, it is validated that all spiteful attempts of India to detach Pakistan have proven to be futile. This has also exasperated India as the Indian external affairs ministry rebuked Chinese FM for levitating the Kashmir issue at the OIC forum.

Furthering Pakistan’s principle stance over Kashmir, the OIC in its joint declaration strongly condemned the grave Human Rights violations of Indian occupant forces in the valley and supported the right of self-determination of Kashmiris in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. The participants also rejected the abrogation of Article-370 in Kashmir by labeling this move as illegitimate and unilateral while demanding India to reverse its attempts that are aimed to alter the demographic realities of the valley.

The OIC also denounced India’s systematic intolerant policy against Muslims by cautioning India to revoke its pernicious attacks against Muslim identity and desist from formulating prejudiced laws contrary to Islamic norms.

By lambasting India’s slipshod insolence in the wake of accidental fire of a Brahmos Supersonic Ballistic Missile into Pakistan, OIC while adopting a stern stance necessitated India to abide by international laws and to conduct a joint probe into the matter in order to establish facts correctly.

The ever-growing humanitarian crisis after Taliban seized the power in Afghanistan was one of the major outlines of the 48^th Conference of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad. In this regard, the establishment of the Afghan Humanitarian Fund, the Afghanistan Food Security Programme, and bolstering the OIC mission to Kabul can be seen as major attainments. The proactive role of Pakistan and KSA to resolve the imminent humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan was also applauded by the partakers.

It was strongly underlined that Afghan frozen assets must be released in order to avert the economic meltdown of the country and that Afghan soil must not be used by other terrorist organizations like Daesh, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and East Turkmenistan Islamic Movement. The international community was apprised about intrinsic and extrinsic spoilers that could pose a potential threat to the peace efforts made for a stabilized Afghanistan.

The escalating anti-Muslim tendencies in the world is another matter of disquiet among Muslims around the globe. Therefore it was indispensable to evaluate the future course to abate the Islamophobic sentiment worldwide. Following Pakistan’s lead, the OIC session in Islamabad also addressed this concern commendably and urged the international community to play its role to reduce the hatred against Muslims by preventing acts of incitement, religious stigmatization, and discrimination against the Islamic faith. The organization also commended the establishment of OIC’s special envoy on Islamophobia to lead institutional engagement with the international community.

The meeting also condemned Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan by consolidating its support for the integrity of Azerbaijan urging Armenia to refrain from aggressive rhetoric and maintaining relations with Azerbaijan based on mutual respect and territorial recognition. 

The forum has also taken into account the Ukraine-Russia conflict and urged both parties to observe restraint in order to save as many civilian lives as possible and allow uninterrupted movement of refugees so that any sort of humanitarian crisis can be prevented. Issues of Yemen, Rohingya, refugees, international financial accountability, and climate change were also among the main highlights of the 2-day conference.

By convening a successful OIC conference in Islamabad, Pakistan once again emerged as a leader and a dignified member of the Islamic world. Acknowledgment of Pakistan’s posture by OIC regarding modern-day challenges to the Islamic world is a clear signal that Pakistan is heading in the correct direction.

Contrary to Pakistan’s prosperous diplomatic outreach, India on the other hand despite having the world’s third-largest Muslim population badly slumped in its endeavor to achieve any sort of relevance in the Organization of Islamic Conference due to India’s domineering and violent anti-Muslim regime widely sponsored by the purveyors of Hindutva philosophy.

*The writer is an Islamabad-based freelance journalist and security analyst with a wide focus on regional affairs. He can be reached at [email protected]