Lahore OIC meeting: ‘When guests had to stay at home’

The houses of the city’s elite were used to host foreign guests at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit held in Lahore 50 years ago.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest intergovernmental organization in the world after the United Nations with 57 member countries and is considered the collective voice of Muslims.

Pakistan has been a key founding member of the OIC along with Saudi Arabia and in 1974, Pakistan also hosted the second summit of the OIC on 22-24 February.

Shakoor Tahir, a former news director of Pakistan Television, covered the conference in Lahore.

Narrating the conference to Independent Urdu, he said that the 1974 summit had set Muslim nations on the path of unity, self-reliance and cooperation.

“The Prime Minister of that time, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, emerged as a global Islamic leader and gave Pakistan an important position in the Muslim world.”

Shakoor Tahir said that it may be known to very few people that the existence of this organization was established in 1969 when an Australian Jewish extremist set fire to the First Qibla of Muslims on August 21, 1969. It burnt down a large part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and also set fire to the minbar in a mihrab which had been installed by Salah al-Din Ayyubi.

“The Islamic world reacted strongly to this incident and the leaders and representatives of 24 Muslim countries gathered in the city of Rabat, Morocco, and a resolution was passed in this meeting on September 25, 1969.”

This resolution was the starting point for the establishment of Organization of Islamic Cooperation or Organization of Islamic Conference.

According to him: “In this resolution, all countries emphasized the resolution of the Palestinian issue and the resolution of events such as the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

The second summit held in Lahore was held from 22nd to 24th February 1974 in the building of the Provincial Assembly of Lahore.

He said that ‘few people know that the 160-feet high Summit Minar located at Faisal Chowk in Lahore is a memorial to the second Organization of Islamic Cooperation, i.e. OIC, which was called in Pakistan 50 years ago.’

Shakoor Tahir said that at that time, Pakistan lacked the resources and capital for such a conference, but the then King of Saudi Arabia, King Faisal, a friend of Pakistan, provided full support, otherwise it would not have been possible. .’

When Pakistan thought of holding the OIC meeting, Lahore was chosen because it was a historical city.

Shakur Tahir says, ‘When it came to hosting guests, there was a shortage of good and big hotels at that time. There was only one five-star hotel in Lahore, so the government requested large houses of rich people and the heads of Islamic countries were honored.

Speaking to Independent Urdu, Iqbal Bukhari, a senior journalist and researcher, said that people hated Bhutto and the People’s Party because of the secession of Bangladesh at that time, but people welcomed them for holding the conference. .

In this conference, Pakistan and Bangladesh came closer with the efforts of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan recognized Bangladesh as a separate country.

While describing the time, Iqbal Bukhari said that ‘there was an excitement and enthusiasm among the people. People welcomed the leaders of the Islamic countries with heart and soul and when the subrahans went to pray in the Badshahi Mosque, it became an Eid-like celebration.

Iqbal Bukhari said that it was a soulful scene when Shah Faisal, Bhutto, Colonel Gaddafi, Yasir Arafat and the heads of other Muslim countries were sitting in the first row. People came out in thousands to see him. At that time, the issue of security was also important that the eyes of the whole world were on the conference at that time.

Continuing, he said: ‘I remember that before the conference, Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar, who was considered a very good administrator and was the Chief Minister at that time.

Although he had resigned, Bhutto had asked him to keep his resignation until the conference. Ghulam Mustafa Khar did the same and continued to work till the success of the conference and later resigned.’

Iqbal Bukhari said that ‘in this conference, Bhutto asked Saudi Arabia to use the Islamic bank and its power petrol bomb and tried to convince them not to fear America.’

He added: ‘But unfortunately, all the leaders of that time passed away due to some conspiracy, but this conference made Pakistan the apple of the eye of the Islamic world.’

In response to a question, Shakoor Tahir said that at that time, the entire Ummah was gathered on the Palestine issue and it has not been resolved so far, but now it has become a serious situation.

‘It is necessary that the Muslim Ummah forgets its differences and gathers in one place, all the problems faced at that time can be solved.’

Join Independent Urdu’s WhatsApp channel for authentic news and current affairs analysis Here Click