PM Abbasi is welcomed on arrival in Istanbul on December 12, 2017. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi arrived in Istanbul on Tuesday to attend the special Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Jerusalem scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
The premier is accompanied by Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials.
The PM Abbasi delegation was received by senior Turkish government officials, and Pakistan Ambassador to Turkey Syrus Sajjad Qazi at the Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul.
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The special summit has been called by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his capacity as the chair of the OIC summit. Most OIC members are expected to attend the day-long conference.
Top leaderships and governments of 26 Islamic states are expected to attend the conference which will explore ways to deal with the situation created in the wake of the Trump administration’s recognition Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The summit will also discuss the recent decision by the American government to shift the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Last week, Pakistan had joined the international community in expressing its strong opposition and condemnation of the US decision to recognise the occupied city of Al Quds Al Sharif (Jerusalem) as the so-called capital of Israel and the plan to relocate the American embassy there.
Whatever the difference in opinion, whatever the mandate, we must never humiliate our PM or the Government. Recommend
If history serves us correctly, OIC is a totally impotent outfit, nothing more than a talk shop. The questions are will Turkey be willing to withdraw from NATO or break diplomatic ties with US, ot will Saudi Arabia and UAE use the oil weapon or withdraw their capital from US holdings and markets ? Don’t count on it. No one cares about empty condemnations.Recommend
This whole OIC is just a publicity stunt. Don’t remember the last time they did anything meaningful on world stage. Just keep on issuing big statements. Only the 5 star tourism industry is benefited by such meetings. Even this time, will any of OIC members put sanctions on Usa or cut off its ties. NO. Big no. Recommend