Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday declared he would not be attending the meeting of foreign ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) states in Abu Dhabi after it was confirmed India would be attending.
Qureshi's statement came hours after Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was welcomed in Abu Dhabi for the event. Swaraj will be addressing the plenary session of the OIC meeting on Friday.
Qureshi made the statement at a joint sitting of the Pakistan Parliament called to discuss the tension with India.
Qureshi was quoted by Pakistan's The News International as saying he requested the UAE to “either postpone the meeting, or the body (OIC) should review its decision to invite India.” Qureshi declared India was neither a member or an observer to the OIC; this was the first time India was invited to the OIC event.
also read
- At UN, India calls out Pakistan for ‘mischievous provocation’ and ‘political propaganda’
- Pak responsible for derailing SAARC; not going to discuss India-Pak relations: Jaishankar on SCO Summit
- T20 World Cup: Bumrah shines as India pips Pakistan in low-scoring thriller
- Seizure of Pak-bound Chinese nuclear cargo in Mumbai sparks fresh proliferation concerns
Qureshi told Parliament that the UAE informed him that the invitation to India to attend the OIC conference was extended before the Pulwama attack.
The OIC had disinvited India from its conference in 1969 in Morocco at Pakistan's behest and has historically sided with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.