Pakistan Elected Vice-Chair at OIC Foreign Ministers’ Preparatory Meeting, Advocates for Palestinian Rights and Condemns Islamophobia

Islamabad, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, represented Pakistan at the preparatory meeting of Foreign Ministers leading up to the 15th Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Banjul, The Gambia. The session was focused on fostering unity and solidarity through dialogue for sustainable development.

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan was unanimously elected as the Vice-Chair of the Bureau of Foreign Ministers’ Preparatory Meeting. During his speech, Senator Dar congratulated the Gambian Foreign Minister, Mamadou Tangara, on his new role and acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing chair, Saudi Arabia. He outlined a series of measures aimed at addressing the crisis in Gaza, including an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian support, and the cessation of Israeli hostilities pursuant to UN Resolution 2728.

The Deputy Prime Minister also reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. He condemned the recent actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), pledging continued diplomatic support for the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.

Further, Senator Dar highlighted the rising issue of Islamophobia and called for a unified strategy among OIC member states to address discriminatory content on global social media platforms. He stressed the need for equitable content regulation policies that also cover anti-Islamic sentiments.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the report from the Senior Officials’ Meeting, the finalization of the OIC Summit’s documents, including the Resolution on Palestine, the Final Communique, and the Banjul Declaration.