Pakistani MPs oppose move to invite India to OIC meet

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistani lawmakers on Tuesday opposed a decision to invite Indian external minister as "Guest of Honor" to the upcoming meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to be held in Abu Dhabi.

The members of the parliament demanded the prime minister Imran Khan's government to boycott the meeting.

"It’s an insult and a ridiculous step to invite Indian foreign minister [...] despite knowing that India is killing innocent Kashmiris […]," Khawaja Asif, former foreign minister and leader of opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said in his speech in the parliament aired on state-run television.

Pakistan should immediately contact the Islamic countries and told them that it’s “unacceptable act” for Islamabad, Asif suggested.

Ruling Pakistan Terhreek-e-Insaf party’s senior leader Fakhar Imam and several other lawmakers also called on the government to boycott the OIC meeting.

“I fully support the opposition leaders’ demand to boycott the OIC meeting and we couldn't bear India in any OIC meeting," Imam said.

Earlier, Sirajul Haq, head of Jamaat-e-Islami, wrote a letter to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, asking him to boycott the OIC meeting.

On Saturday, the Indian External Ministry said the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has invited the Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj as the " Guest of Honour" to address the inaugural plenary of the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC.

The upcoming OIC session will be held in Abu Dhabi on March 1-2 under the theme 50 years of Islamic cooperation: Road map for prosperity and development.