LEADERS and representatives from some 20 Muslim countries
have gathered in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to discuss issues agitating Muslims globally including Kashmir and Middle East issues, conflicts in Syria and Yemen, the plight of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim and most importantly discrimination against Muslims in what is known as Islamophobia.
Pakistan was one of the first countries with which Prime Minister Mahathir shared his idea of holding the summit and Prime Minister Imran Khan had plans to attend the moot but at the last moment a decision was made not to attend this important forum. It is now an open secret that Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates had some reservations about the gathering considering it as a move to counter the importance of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Pakistan abstained from the event in deference to the wishes of these two brotherly countries and the Prime Minister did well by talking to both Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. To the good luck of Pakistan, Dr. Mahathir understood the compulsion of Pakistan and he is committed to visiting Riyadh to remove misgivings of Saudi leadership. Islamic world is already at the receiving end because of internal rifts and lack of required unity to counter conspiracies and threats to its interests. Pakistan would have benefited by participating in a moot that was to discuss also, among other issues, the situation in occupied-Kashmir and one cannot forget the forthright stand adopted by Dr. Mahathir and President Erdogan who did not care about economic losses while offending India due to bold but just support for the rights of Kashmiri people. Attempts made by Pakistan for bridging differences between Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur were appreciable but we hope that the matter would not be left at that and concerted efforts would be made to forge unity in the ranks of Ummah.
