LAHORE: The pre-Islamic Summit Foreign Ministers conference, which began its two-day deliberations here this evening [Feb 19], unanimously admitted six more countries as members of the Islamic Secretariat, raising the strength to 36. The new members admitted … are: Guinea Bissau, Gabon, Gambia, Cameroun, Uganda and Upper Volta.

The meeting, which was presided over by Pa­­­kistan Minister of State for Defence and Fo­­reign Affairs, Mr Aziz Ahmad, also accep­ted Iraq’s request to be allowed to attend the Sum­mit as an observer. The Foreign Ministers’ mee­­ting … will be resumed tomorrow morning. …

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Agha Shahi, replying to newsmen’s questions … said the question of Bangladesh’s participation in the Conference had also engaged the Foreign Ministers’ attention. But, he added, they had not been able to get enough time to consult each other on this question. … Mr Shahi … said: “I believe Bangladesh has expressed its interest in the Islamic Summit. But we have not received any formal application” for membership. … Mr Shahi declined to answer a number of questions on the plea that the reasons of security and confidential nature of the topic did not permit it. — Summit bureau

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Climate funding gap
17 Feb, 2025

Climate funding gap

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent appeal for climate finance at the World Governments Summit in the UAE...
UN monitoring report
17 Feb, 2025

UN monitoring report

THE latest report of the UN Security Council’s sanctions monitoring team paints a grim picture of the banned...
Tax policy reform
17 Feb, 2025

Tax policy reform

THE cabinet’s decision to create a Tax Policy Office at the finance ministry has raised hopes that tax policy is...
Maintaining balance
Updated 16 Feb, 2025

Maintaining balance

It must take a more proactive approach to establishing Pakistan’s bona fides.
Welcome return
16 Feb, 2025

Welcome return

IT is almost here; the moment Pakistan has long been waiting for — the first International Cricket Council...
Childhood trauma
16 Feb, 2025

Childhood trauma

BEING a child in this society should not be so hard. But recurrent reports of child abuse — from burying girl...