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The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia rift widened further after the recently held Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Council (OIC) of foreign ministers on Afghanistan as Pakistan tried to rake up unrelated issues.
Pakistan hosted the 17th extraordinary session of the OIC of foreign ministers on the Afghanistan situation in Islamabad on December 19, 2021, according to Policy Research Group (PRG)'s Strategic Insight. Further, the conference was attended by envoys from 57 Islamic nations and about 70 observer delegations from US, China, Russia, European Union and the United Nations. Although the purported objective of the gathering was to help salvage Afghanistan from the humanitarian crisis, Pakistan tried to rake up unrelated issues, which Saudi Arabia did not endorse, according to PRG's Strategic Insight. Earlier, Saudi Arabia wanted to highlight the role and responsibility of Taliban 2.0 in restoring peace, stability and essential supplies in Afghanistan, However, Pakistan Prime Minister seemed inclined to blame the crisis on non-recognition of the Taliban regime and freezing of Afghan funds of USD 10 billion deposited overseas. Further, the line taken by Pakistan was that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is worsening because the world has chosen not to recognise the Taliban government, despite the Saudis being circumspect on the matter. Meanwhile, it was clear from the outset that Pakistan had motives to utilise the platform for its own agenda namely legitimisation of Taliban and its own strategic interests. Pakistan's plan to push the recognition of the Taliban 2.0 regime as a legitimate government of Afghanistan in the OIC platform is clear from the Draft Declaration prepared by the Pakistan Foreign Office shared with the OIC headquarters. It had reportedly a line stating that unless the OIC recognizes the Taliban government, the humanitarian crisis would worsen, according to PRG's Strategic Insight. Earlier, Islamabad wanted the OIC to show direct solidarity with the Taliban. Additionally, Pakistan wanted to add a line in the declaration that the OIC had agreed to establish a Contact Group on Afghanistan, which the Saudi's were against, according to PRG's Strategic Insight. (ANI)
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