Islamabad, 19 December 2021 (TDI): At the closing of the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Islamabad, Pakistan, Hissein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), declared the appointment of a Special Envoy on Afghanistan.
Ambassador Tariq Ali Bakheet, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural, and Social Affairs, was chosen as the Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary-General on Afghanistan.
5️⃣: @OIC_OCI to appoint Amb Tarig Ali Bakheet, ASG for Humanitarian, Cultural & Family Affairs as Sp Envoy of SG for Afghanistan to:
➖coordinate aid/assistance efforts &
➖pursue economic & political engagement with #Afghanistan. #OICInPakistan #OIC4Afg pic.twitter.com/QMvkebZPkl— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) December 19, 2021
The Envoy will monitor the implementation of the resolution of the Council of Foreign Ministers and will also coordinate efforts for humanitarian assistance to Afghans.
The Special Envoy is also responsible for pursuing political and economic engagement in Afghanistan, along with the coordination of humanitarian assistance and support.
On 18 December, in a statement to the opening session of the OIC meeting, Ambassador Tariq Ali Bakheet stressed Afghanistan needs to be free from decades of war and suffering.
“It is crucial for the international community to take swift action to ensure that the people of Afghanistan have unimpeded access to life-saving assistance and that humanitarian support is scaled up,” he added.
Discussion on the situation in Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Islamophobia
The Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Ibrahim Taha, also had conversations with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, on the situation in Afghanistan.
#OIC Secretary General H.E. Mr. Hissein Ibrahim Taha held discussions with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Imran Khan, on 19 December 2021, on the sidelines of the 17th Session of the Emergency Meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Islamabad, #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/vumBmSsHZf
— OIC (@OIC_OCI) December 19, 2021
Both sides discussed the need for mobilization of support and assistance to the Afghan people, and to provide immediate help to attain security and stability. They also discussed the Jammu & Kashmir issue, and OIC efforts in support of the Kashmiri people in the struggle to attain their legitimate rights.
Furthermore, they also addressed the escalation of Islamophobia across the world along with examining the OIC and Pakistan’s attempts to combat this phenomenon worldwide.
