Tarig Ali Bakheet, Assistant Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), met with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister, on the sidelines of the OIC’s 50th session. During their discussion, Bakheet stressed the need for the Taliban to reconsider its decisions regarding women’s education and employment.
In a separate development, Muttaqi was notably excluded from the official group photo marking the beginning of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting. This marks the second time such an exclusion has occurred; in 2021, the Taliban official was also barred from joining the group photograph during the OIC meeting in Islamabad.
The 50th session of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ conference, which began today, is focused on “Developing Infrastructure for Transportation and Communications within the OIC: A Key Tool for Combating Poverty and Insecurity.” The conference is set to continue through tomorrow.
Hissein Brahim Taha, the OIC Secretary-General, opened the session with a strong condemnation of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. “We will continue our efforts to address the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people,” he stated.
Taha also reaffirmed the OIC’s commitment to defending the interests of Muslim communities worldwide, highlighting the organization’s ongoing efforts in combating terrorism, countering Islamophobia and religious hatred, and promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the OIC has repeatedly called on the group to uphold human rights, particularly the rights of women to education and employment.
