ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari proposed to establish special task force of experts at Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) forum to develop strategy to secure equal treatment in rules and structure of international finance, trade and taxation.

“We must also demand speedy debt restructuring for 60 financially vulnerable countries, redistribution of unutilised SDRs (Special Drawing Rights) to developing countries, large lending by multilateral development banks, massive public-private partnership investments, sustainable infrastructure and mobilisation of promised climate financing of $ 100 billion,” he said while delivering his opening statement as Chairman of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) at two-day 49th Session of CFM in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

He said Pakistan had been hit hard by devastating floods last summer after facing negative impacts of Covid, inflation, economic collapse in Afghanistan and consequences of Ukraine war. He thanked brotherly Islamic countries for their generous support for Pakistan in hour of need.

As regards Palestine issue, he said OIC member states must continue to condemn Israel’s repeated aggression against Al Aqsa Masjid and in occupied Palestinian territory. People of Palestine must have their own state within 1967 borders with Al Quds Alsharif as its capital.  Regarding Kashmir issue, he said United Nations Security Council had adopted resolution that people of Jammu and Kashmir must be able to exercise right of self-determination through UN-sponsored plebiscite. However, India moved away from its commitment to implement decision and resorted to fraud and force. Three years after India’s unilateral and illegal measures of August 5, 2019, he said, it was evident that its campaign of colonial expansion had failed.  He said Kashmir and Pakistan were bound by geography, faith, history and culture and Pakistan would continue to extend its full political, diplomatic and moral support for the Kashmiris’ freedom struggle.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 17 2023

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