Pak envoy briefs Al-Azhar Imam on OIC moot

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to Egypt Sajid Bilal had an important meeting Tuesday with Sheikh Al-Azhar Al-Sharif (Grand Imam), Ahmed El-Tayeb to brief him on the importance of the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Islamabad Sunday last to discuss humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

The session reflected Pakistan’s abiding commitment and consistent efforts to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan and the continued well-being of the Afghan people, the ambassador noted.

The envoy informed him that besides foreign ministers and representatives from the OIC member states and observers, special invitees from the UN, International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and P-5 countries, Germany, Italy, EU and Japan also participated in the meeting. A fund in the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has been established to invite contributions from countries to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. Ambassador Sajid Bilal briefed the Grand Imam about the launch of ‘Paigham-e-Pakistan’ book, a compilation of ‘Fatwas’ by Pakistani ulema, promoting tolerance and debunking extremist ideologies.

The book is translated in Arabic by Al-Azhar University and the foreword has been written by the Grand Mufti of Egypt. Shiekh Al-Azhar Al-Sharif praised the outcomes of the extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers and welcomed the efforts of Pakistan in bringing peace in Afghanistan and the region.