New Delhi, Feb 25: Days after springing a major surprise when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been invited for attending the inaugural plenary session of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), the apex forum of Islamic nations has now called “an emergency” meeting of its Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir on February 26 on Pakistan’s request.
“On the request of Islamic Republic of Pakistan a meeting of the Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir … will be held at the OIC General Secretariat” on Tuesday at 11 am, said a notice marked “urgent” sent to members of the contact group by the OIC secretariat in Jeddah, according to a report in Pakistan-based newspaper ‘Dawn’.
According to the notice, the meeting of the contact group will be held at the level of permanent representatives.
Sources told ‘DawnNewsTV’ that the meeting will review the actions taken by the Indian government in the aftermath of the attack on security forces in Pulwama district.
The contact group meeting will be followed by the 46th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, scheduled for March 1-2 in Abu Dhabi.
In a rare move, Ms Sushma Swaraj has been invited to address the inaugural plenary of the OIC foreign ministers meeting.
The OIC describes itself as “the collective voice of the Muslim world”, and its stated objective is “to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world”, the report said.
The OIC has in the past maintained quite an indifference approach towards India and thus inviting External Affairs Minister for the first time to be the ‘guest of honour’ is seen as a feather in the cap of Indian diplomacy.
“The friendly country of India has been named as the guest of honour in view of its great global political stature as well as its time-hounoured and deeply rooted cultural and historical legacy, and its important Islamic component,” the UAE statement has said on Saturday in reference to the invitation extended to Indian External Affairs Minister.
UNI
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