ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the two-day meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Pakistan is taking place at a critical moment in world history, asking Muslim countries to prepare themselves for emerging global realities.
Pakistan will host the 48th session of the OIC CFM conference in Islamabad starting March 22.
The meeting is annually held to take important decisions and adopt new policies by OIC member states.
“Structures of the global security and economic order established in 1945 have been eroded by the repeated unilateral use of force, a new ‘cold war’ and growing inequalities among and within nations, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of climate change and the technology revolution,” the prime minister wrote in an article exclusively published by Arab News. “Islamic countries must carefully navigate these ‘new realities’ and actively shape the emerging world order to realize their individual and collective interests.”
However, Khan maintained the Muslim world should focus on internal disputes instead of getting involved in great power rivalries. He also emphasized that Islamic countries should do their best to prevent foreign interference and intervention.
Given the volatile situation of the world, the prime minister asked the OIC member countries to think in terms of developing their own security architecture.
“The OIC should seriously consider establishing its own peace and security architecture to promote conflict resolution through dialogue and negotiations whenever disputes arise among Muslim countries or between them and non-Muslim countries or entities,” he maintained.
Khan added the OIC must continue to support the just causes of Palestine and Kashmir for self-determination and liberation from foreign occupation.
“Although these goals are daunting,” he continued, “I am convinced that the arc of history bends toward justice.”
He also emphasized the significance of resolving conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen while pointing out it was the first time in 40 years that Afghanistan had got a “real opportunity” to restore peace and security.
He noted that the Muslim world should join other developing countries in mobilizing resources for recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and demanded fair and equal treatment in the international finance, trade and taxation architecture.
Referring to one of the major causes championed by his administration, Khan said: “We must boldly arrest and reverse the outflow of billions of dollars each year from our countries to ‘safe havens’ through corruption, fraud, tax evasion and tax avoidance.”
He also urged OIC nations to prepare themselves for a knowledge-driven, integrated and digital global economy of the future.
“Finally, we must promote global respect for our faith, Islam, and offer protection to every Muslim everywhere. We must object vigorously to the defamation or denigration of Islam, our Holy Book or our Holy Prophet, peace be upon him,” he maintained.