HIGHLIGHTS
- Qureshi said that it would not be possible for him to attend OIC meeting where Sushma Swaraj was present
- Qureshi also said that he has spoken to the UAE minister and apprised him of Pakistan’s reservations
- Meanwhile, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s plans are on schedule
Amid tension and threats of boycott, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would be skipping the inaugural session of the 46th Council of Ministers’ Meet of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperaton (OIC) since the ‘Guest of Honour’ is India, but has decided to attend the rest of the conference, India Today TV has learnt through reliable sources.
Pakistan had threatened to boycott the entire conference after lodging a strong protest in a letter to OIC Secretary General Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen.
Qureshi, in his letter said, “Under the current circumstances, it will not be possible for me to attend OIC meeting where Sushma Swaraj is present.”
India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s plans are on schedule. She will arrive in Abu Dhabi in the intermittent night of Thursday and Friday and would be addressing the inaugural session of the plenary on Friday morning after which there are bilateral meetings lined up for her with many of her counterparts from Islamic nations.
Qureshi said, “India is neither a member of OIC nor an observer. I have spoken to the UAE minister and apprised him of Pakistan’s reservations and told him that he should have spoken to us before inviting Swaraj.”
source: India Today