OIC activities must evolve around dev issues

Addressing the 34th Session of OIC Foreign Ministers (ICFM) here yesterday, he said, "Those have the means and capabilities should come out with more support to the development of the underprivileged among us."

The adviser said OIC should have a special programme for its Least Developing Countries (LDC) to enhance their capacity and unhindered market access of their products.

Pakistan President Parvez Mosharraf inaugurated the conference, which was attended by representatives of all 57 OIC member states.

Iftekhar said the Muslim Ummah is passing through a critical phase when parts of the world are gripped with Islamphoebia or an irrational face of Islam and the Muslims".

"This is both unjust and unfair and must be countered by coordinated actions by Muslim nations and organisations," added the adviser.

He stressed the need for early implementation of the Islamic Common Market.

The adviser stressed the need for unity on the Hamas-led government in Palestine and called for resolution of the "core conflict" by providing the Palestinians a separate and sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.

On Iraq, Iftekhar said that the Iraqis must take control of their own destiny to resolve their problems in consonance with the aspiration of the great Iraqi nation.

He also reiterated the need to modernise the Islamic international institutions, including the OIC. "This is the call of our times", he said, "If we fail to respond to this need we run the risk of withering away."

Bangladesh, he said, will work with others to help amend the OIC charter to bring about the necessary reforms.