Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

Flag of Pakistan
Logo of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

Pakistan continues to enjoy a privileged status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC, formerly the Organisation of the Islamic Conference). In terms of population, it is the OIC's second largest member. Being the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons, having the seventh-largest standing military force, through research at NESCOM and DESTO and a large labour workforce working in various Muslim countries, play a role in its prominence.

OIC role in Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship

It was under the pretext of the 2nd summit of OIC held in Lahore between 22–24 February 1974, that Pakistan recognised the former or ex-Eastern Pakistan as the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Pakistan had initially not invited Bangladesh to attend the summit. However, as members of the OIC group gathered in Lahore, several heads of the state from the Arab world put pressure on Pakistan's then prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, to invite Sheikh Mujibur Rehman to attend. A seven-member delegation from OIC in fact visited Dhaka to invite Mujib to participate in the summit. As a result of the 2nd OIC summit, Pakistan formally recognised Bangladesh on 22 February 1974, and Mujib was flown by a special aircraft from Dhaka to Lahore to attend the summit.[1] Bhutto subsequently visited Dhaka in July 1974. Established relations on 18 January 1976.

Pakistan has raised many important issues at the second summit of OIC.[2] Pakistan has had frayed relations with India because of its involvement in the partition of East and West Pakistan in 1971.The intervention gave rise to the state of Bangladesh, which resulted in strained relationship with India.

Pakistan's solidarity with Palestine

Pakistan has always supported the Palestinians against the Zionist colonization of Palestine. In line with OIC strong stance against the occupation of Palestine by Zionists, Pakistan has continuously adopted a stance against Israel, while maintaining moral solidarity with Palestine.

Military cooperation

Pakistan enjoys sound and steadfast military defence relations with many members of OIC. See also Pakistan military cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE, Brunei, Nigeria and Middle Eastern Countries.

Army collaboration

Army Service Corps School has trained up to 30 officers from Muslim countries like Bangladesh, Bosnia, Maldives, Palestine, Turkey.[3] Pakistan Army Military College of Signals has trained more than 500 officers[4] from places such as Burma, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE and Zambia, most of these countries are member of OIC.

More than 1900 officers from Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Palestine, Turkmenistan, Lebanon, Iran, Ghana, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya and Oman have been trained in Pakistan Naval Academy.[5] Pakistan SSGN has also trained officers from countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Iran.[6]

Military technology collaboration

Pakistan is thought to have developed its atomic bomb programme with millions of dollars of contributory aid from (mostly) Saudi Arabia and Libyan oil wealth.[7]

OIC on the issue of Kashmir

Pakistan has always used OIC as a platform to gather support on the Kashmir conflict against the Republic of India. In 1969 King Hassan of Morocco invited the Government of India for the 1969 Summit in Rabat. But after Pakistan then ruler Gen Yahya Khan threatened to walk out, King Hassan requested the Indian delegates not to attend the meeting.[8]

During the OIC 1994 Conference in Tehran, Pakistan succeeded in persuading the member countries to create the "OIC Contact Group on Kashmir". The Foreign Minister of Pakistan would discuss the possibility of cutting ties with any state that recognized Jammu and Kashmir as "Integral part of India" by safeguarding our national security and geo-strategic interests including Kashmir; some countries are not recognized by Pakistan because of their move towards against the self-determination of Kashmiris as a form of aggression. These countries are the State of Israel, Armenia, Costa Rica, Liberia and Zambia.

China's representation in OIC through Pakistan

As a goodwill gesture of China's veto power in support of Pakistan at the UN Security Council, for example the Chinese opposition of UNSC resolution at Pakistan's behest demanding a ban on the militant organisation Jama'at-ud-Da'wah following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Pakistan assured China, that the OIC will not pass any resolution condemning China's 'strike hard' campaign against the Uighur Muslim minority. Pakistan therefore act as a contact point for China's engagement with the OIC.

See also

References

  1. ↑ South Asia in world politics By Devin T. Hagerty, Rowman & Littlefield, 2005, p 73.
  2. ↑ Orakzai, S. (2010). Organisation of The Islamic Conference and Conflict Resolution: Case Study of the Kashmir Dispute. Pakistan Horizon, 63(2), 83. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/24711087
  3. ↑ Army Service Corps School, Pakistan Army official website, retrieved 11/Jan/2011
  4. ↑ Military College of Signals, Pakistan Army official website, retrieved 11/Jan/2011
  5. ↑ Pakistan Naval Academy, Pakistan Navy official website, retrieved 10/Jan/20111
  6. ↑ SSGN Marine, Pakistan Navy official website, retrieved 11/Jan/2011 Archived 2012-04-19 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Moshe Yegar, "Pakistan and Israel," Jewish Political Stusdies Review 19:3-4 (Fall 2007)
  8. ↑ Studies In World Affairs, Volume 1 By Ed. K.R Gupta, Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2005, p 232-233.
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