Jeddah : In 23rd extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held at the Secretariat of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, today (Thursday).it deliberated on two agenda items: i) Israel’s illegal actions in Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), and ii) the election of new Secretary General OIC. Foreign Ministers and high-level delegations from OIC Member States participated in the session. Ambassador Syed Mohammad Fawad Sher, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to OIC, represented Pakistan in the extraordinary session on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
The session adopted a comprehensive resolution condemning the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and its unlawful occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The resolution strongly denounced the Israeli policy of land confiscation, settlement expansion, settler violence, annexation and forced displacement against the Palestinians. It also deplored Israel’s grave humanitarian and human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and called upon the international community and the OIC Member States to persist with their legal, political and diplomatic actions to restrain Israel’s expansionist agenda and unlawful persecution of the Palestinian people.
The extraordinary CFM session also announced the election of H.E. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, as the new Secretary-General OIC by consensus. H.E. Ismail Ahmed is a former Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
In his statement, Ambassador Fawad Sher commended the dedication and professionalism of the outgoing Secretary-General, Mr Hissein Brahim Taha and conveyed the government of Pakistan’s appreciation of his distinguished services to the Ummah. He also congratulated and warmly welcomed the newly elected Secretary-General H.E. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and assured him of Pakistan’s full support in the optimum fulfillment of his mandate.
On Israel’s illegal actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ambassador Fawad Sher strongly condemned Israel’s atrocities in Palestine. He denounced the unlawful and forcible Israeli settler colonialism in the West Bank, Israel’s growing incursions and desecrations of the Muslim and Christian Holy sites in the occupied East Jerusalem, the unlawful expansions in the E-1 area including the announcement of tenders and the launch of the ‘Crimson Thread’ project.
He also called for rejection of all illegal Israeli settlement activities, support for the full and faithful implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, and taking a forceful and unified stance against Israel’s policy of imposing a fait accompli by force. He also urged strengthening intra-OIC coordination and collectively calling upon the UNSC to ensure that Israel respects international law, implements the relevant UNSC resolutions, and halts all provocative actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Appreciating OIC’s principled position and consistent support for the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Ambassador Sher also urged the OIC to step up its efforts for the realisation of the right to self-determination of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters