PM in Turkey to attend OIC summit in wake of Trump Jerusalem move

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday arrived in Turkey to attend the special Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem).

Senior Turkish officials welcomed the prime minister and the Pakistani delegation upon arrival.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif are also accompanying the prime minister on the trip, said in a press release by the PM Office.

The prime minister will lead the Pakistani delegation in the session summoned to devise the future strategy in wake of the US move regarding Jerusalem.

Earlier in December, US President Donald Trump recognised the disputed city as Israel's capital — a historic decision that overturns decades of American policy and risks triggering a fresh wave of violence in the Middle East.

Pakistan strongly condemned US President Donald Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, voicing its concern "over the implications of this decision for international peace and security, especially in the Middle East", according to a Foreign Office statement.

A statement from the Prime Minister Office had stated that it is "deeply regrettable that pleas from states across the globe not to alter the legal and historical status of Al-Quds Al-Sharif have been ignored, more out of choice than necessity."

The Government of Pakistan had also welcomed the announcement by Turkey to convene an extraordinary Islamic Summit to discuss this serious issue.