Phone services in Islamabad to be cut during OIC summit

The OIC session will focus on ways to mobilise support for providing adequate food, medicine, and shelter to millions of people in Afghanistan who are in dire need after the fall of Kabul in mid-August…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs has announced the suspension of phone services in Islamabad during the extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Phone services will remain suspended for three days — December 17-19 — as the OIC’s Extraordinary Session of Foreign Ministers will start on Friday, reported Geo News citing the Interior Ministry as saying.

The OIC session will focus on ways to mobilise support for providing adequate food, medicine, and shelter to millions of people in Afghanistan who are in dire need after the fall of Kabul in mid-August, the Pakistani publication said.

Mobile phone services will be blocked from Islamabad Airport to the Red Zone. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has also received a letter in this regard from the Interior Ministry.

The management of the Parliament House has also been handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for eight days to host the extraordinary session, reported The News International.

However, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed has said that the final decision would be made later over the matter as consultations were still underway.

He said that the timings and dates for the suspension of mobile services will be finalised on Friday.

Meanwhile in order to get the Taliban international recognition, Islamabad on Monday invited the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the OIC summit.

Waliullah Shaheen, head of the Center for Strategic Studies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the Afghan economy, banking system and the normalization of Afghanistan’s relations with the world are the main agenda items for the meeting, reported Tolo News.

“The economy, banking system and normalization of Afghanistan’s relations with the world are the agenda items of the meeting, and we, as the foreign ministry (of Afghanistan), will participate in this meeting,” he said.

In addition to the members of the OIC, Pakistan media reported that delegations from the US, Russia, Britain, the European Union, the World Bank and humanitarian organizations have also been invited to the conference.

“Many Islamic countries don’t have good ties with Afghanistan. I hope these countries rebuild their relations and together make a decision on recognizing Afghanistan,” said Sayed Ishaq Gailani, head of the National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan.

The Taliban unveiled their caretaker government with Hasan Akhund, who has been under United Nations sanctions since 2001, at the helm.

It has been more than 100 days since the Taliban takeover but has not been recognized by any nation of the world yet.

Respect for women and human rights, establishing inclusive government, not allowing Afghanistan to become safe haven of terrorism are the preconditions for the recognition set by the international community.

The Taliban has so far implemented none of these but has been promising to do so. (ANI)

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