LAHORE: The Islamic Summit Conference at its first closed-door session this evening [Feb 23] decided to give full … support to Egypt, Syria, Jordan and the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle for recovering their occupied lands by all means. The meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, passed two resolutions, one on Middle East and the Palestinian cause and the other on Jerusalem. The resolution on Jerusalem declared that the restoration of the Holy City to Arab sovereignty was a paramount and unchangeable prerequisite for any solution in the Middle East. … Reaffirming that the Palestine Liberation Organisation was the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian nation, the Summit Conference urged all States to support, by all means, the people of Palestine in their struggle against “Zionist, racist and settlers’ colonisation”.

[Meanwhile,] Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, taking part in the general discussion in the last open session of the Islamic Summit … declared that a “new chapter” in relations with Pakistan would contribute to peace in the Sub-Continent. He extended his thanks to “our host and Chairman, the Prime Minister of Pakistan”.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2024