Global moot on girls’ education begins today in Islamabad
• Representatives from 44 countries to attend conference; Malala to address tomorrow • PM, OIC official call for Gaza truce
ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan gears up to host a historic international conference on girls’ education here on Saturday (today), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha who has come to participate in the event.
The conference is bringing together over 150 dignitaries and academia from 44 Muslim and friendly countries, and representatives from international organisations including Unesco, Unicef, and the World Bank.
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai will also be attending the two-day conference aimed at empowering Muslim girls worldwide.
PM Shehbaz and Mr Taha in their meeting agreed that OIC should constantly pressurise the world community for ceasefire in Gaza. The PM thanked Mr Taha for his participation in the conference.
He noted that the initiative was aimed at galvanizing concrete and concerted efforts to improve quality education and women empowerment in the Muslim World.
Appreciating the secretary general for his dynamic stewardship of the OIC, the premier reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support to advancing the organisation’s shared priorities and objectives while making it more effective as a collective voice of the Ummah.
He appreciated the OIC’s principled position and consistent support for the resolution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with the resolutions of the UN and the OIC.
While condemning Israel’s genocidal campaign, he stressed the need to bring an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, ensure unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people and global accountability of Israel for its widely documented war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The secretary general thanked the PM for the warm hospitality extended by Pakistan to him and his delegation.
He reaffirmed OIC’s full support for the Kashmiri people in their legitimate struggle for freedom and self-determination and briefed the PM about the OIC’s ongoing diplomatic efforts in this regard.
He agreed with the PM that OIC should continue to press the international community for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and stressed that addressing the Palestinian question on the basis of the two-state solution was key to ensuring durable peace and stability in the region.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest, including Afghanistan and the global surge in Islamophobia.
During a separate meeting with Muslim World League Secretary General Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, PM Shehbaz praised the League’s efforts for promoting the true identity of Islam at the global level, advocating the common goals of the Muslim world, and promoting mutual respect and understanding between religions, beliefs and cultures.
The PM extended his gratitude to the MWL official for their decision to establish a Sirat Museum in Pakistan and underscored the country’s vision to continue to work for the early completion of joint projects.
The two leaders agreed that holding the education conference would send an important message to the world on the topic of the Muslim world’s commitment to promoting girls’ education.
Mr Al-Issa told the prime minister that at the end of the conference, a consensus-based “Islamabad Declaration” will be issued regarding the education of girls in Muslim countries, which will prove to be a milestone in the promotion of women’s education.
In the meeting, the PM mentioned Pakistan’s long-standing fraternal relations with Saudi Arabia.
A spokesperson for the Malala Fund charity confirmed that Ms Yousafzai will appear in person at the education summit.
“I am excited to join Muslim leaders from around the world for a critical conference on girls’ education,” she said on Friday in a post on social media platform X.
“On Sunday, I will speak about protecting rights for all girls to go to school, and why leaders must hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against Afghan women & girls.”
Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told AFP that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has been invited to attend the conference, although Islamabad has not received a response.
Taha visits Comstech office
A spirit of collaboration and innovation marked the OIC secretary general’s visit to Comstech’s Secretariat in Islamabad.
The event, attended by ambassadors, diplomats, scientists, researchers, and key officials from OIC member states, signalled a renewed commitment to advancing science and technology across the Muslim world.
In his address, Mr Taha emphasised the transformative power of unity in tackling the challenges faced by the Ummah.
He underscored the critical role of scientific and technological collaboration among the OIC nations, calling it a pathway to self-reliance and sustainable development.
The initiative, launched in collaboration with Pakistan’s the federal education minister and Comstech coordinator general, sought to curb brain drain and empower member states to achieve technological self-sufficiency.
Mr Taha highlighted two significant events such as the upcoming 16th Comstech General Assembly, to be hosted in Islamabad in 2025, and the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the OIC-15 Dialogue Platform, planned for later this year.
Mr Siddiqui reiterated the pivotal role of science and technology in driving sustainable development.
“The launch of the Comstech Expert Service is a major milestone in uniting the collective expertise of the Muslim world to address shared challenges and build resilience,” he said.
With input from news agencies
Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2025