The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) says its Assistant Secretary-General, Tariq Ali Bakhit, met with Muslim World League Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and ways to support the Afghan people.
According to an OIC statement, the meeting took place on Saturday on the sidelines of the Ninth OIC Ministerial Conference on Women in Islamabad.
The two officials discussed ways to help Afghanistan address its humanitarian and development challenges while strengthening coordination between Islamic countries and the wider international community to sustain humanitarian assistance.
The discussions coincided with the two-day conference of women ministers from OIC member states, which is focused on women’s social, economic and political empowerment as well as the challenges they continue to face.
The situation of Afghan women is also expected to be addressed during the conference. However, it remains unclear who is representing Afghan women at the gathering.
Although Afghanistan is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, no official delegation representing the Taliban administration attended the conference. Diplomatic sources say the Taliban were not invited because their government has not been formally recognized by OIC member states.
The conference is taking place as the Taliban continue to enforce broad restrictions on the education, employment and public participation of Afghan women and girls. The OIC and many Muslim-majority countries have repeatedly called on the Taliban to lift those restrictions while continuing humanitarian support for the Afghan people.
