Islamabad, 20 Mar (PTI): Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Sunday assured that the two-day OIC Foreign Ministers’ conference would go ahead as per schedule here from next week and dared the opposition parties from disrupting the high-level moot, asserting that it was a matter of national security.
Rashid’s comments come close on the heels of the opposition parties threatening to obstruct the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in case National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser did not put the no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan on the day’s agenda by Monday. While opposition parties have backtracked from taking such an extreme step, the high-profile event will be held in the backdrop of rising political temperatures in the country.
“The opposition pledges to do its utmost to create an atmosphere in which the distinguished guests will be able to carry out their activities with full attention, dedication and determination,” read the joint statement.
The 48th summit of the OIC-CFM will be held on 22 March and 23 under the theme: “Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development.” Taking to Twitter, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said the session will coincide with 75th anniversary celebrations of Pakistan’s Independence Day.
“I declare here that no one can dare create any sort of hurdle in the holding of the OIC conference because it is an issue of security of Pakistan,” Rashid said at a press conference.
The minister asserted that up to 15,000 security personnel of police and the paramilitary forces would be deployed to provide security to the delegates of Muslim countries coming to participate in the conference.
The two-day event will have representatives of more than 50 Muslim nations in attendance.
The authorities have planned to organise the OIC meeting in the Parliament building, but it coincided with the mandatory period required to convene the National Assembly session to start the formalities for the no-trust vote.
Around 100 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) submitted a no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat on March 8, alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government led by Prime Minister Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country.
Its leaders threatened to disrupt the OIC meeting if the session was not summoned on time, creating panic among the Islamabad-based ambassadors of the Muslim countries, according to Rashid.
“I received calls from at least 22 ambassadors and I told everyone that come what may the conference would be held as per schedule,” he said at the press conference.
Meanwhile, it is not clear as yet if the speaker would summon the session on time.
However, Rashid hinted in the press conference that the National Assembly may be convened on 25 March.
“The speaker has full authority to call the session on time or delay it in an extraordinary situation,” he added.
Opposition leaders argue that the speaker was bound to call the session within 14 days following the March 8 requisition for the assembly session for no-trust proceedings.