JEDDAH — Pakistan’s newly-appointed Permanent Representative to OIC andother international organizations, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh,presented his credentials to OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousaf Bin AhmedAl-Othaimeen, at the organization’s headquarters here on Wednesday.

Presentation of the credentials by Ambassador Sheikh marked theestablishment of Pakistan’s dedicated Permanent Mission to OIC and otherinternational organizations, Pakistan Consulate General in Jeddah said in apress statement. Earlier, ambassadors of Pakistan in Riyadh used torepresent the country at the OIC.

Pakistan’s decision to establish its Permanent Mission to OIC comes inpursuance of the organization’s various resolutions and pronouncements,which encouraged the member states to set up their permanent missions inJeddah to handle their dealings with the OIC more efficiently.

The establishment of the new mission, coinciding with the golden jubilee ofthe OIC, is based on a system-wide approach reflecting Pakistan’s intent todeepen and strengthen its engagement with OIC as well as specialized andsubsidiary institutions that form part of the broader OIC system.

As a founding member, Pakistan attaches great importance to the OIC, whichapart from lending an institutional expression to the pan-Islamicsentiments is the second largest intergovernmental organization after theUN. Amongst its other contributions, the OIC has maintained an impressiverecord of consistent support to the Kashmir cause. Pakistan also remainsone of the largest beneficiaries of the financial assistance offered by theIslamic Development Bank group — being a specialized organ in the OICsystem.

The establishment of Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to OIC in Jeddah isgeared to enhancing Pakistan’s footprint in the organization and forging amutually beneficial, multifaceted relationship with the larger OIC system.