Musharraf to skip OIC Summit in Senegal

Islamabad, Mar.5 : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf will not attend the 11th Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in the West African country of Senegal this month.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Inaam-ul-Haq will represent Pakistan at the event, sources said.

The President would not attend the OIC summit to be held at Dakar between March 8 and 14 owing to existing political situation in the country, The News quoted presidency sources as saying.

According to sources, Senegal is hosting the Summit for the second time. It hosted the Summit for the first time in 1992.

About 5,167 hotel rooms have been made available for the delegates, without disrupting accomodation for tourists.

The Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and foreign ministers meeting will be held on March 8-11, followed by the Summit proper on March 13-14.

Senegal was supposed to take over the OIC chairmanship from Malaysia in 2006 but it was delayed due to unfinished preparations.

Most of the physical and preparation works for the Summit are being overseen by the National Agency for the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (ANOCI), headed by the Senegal president's son, Karim Wade.

The summit would be held at the King Fahd Complex, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, which is some 10 km from the Dakar city centre.

Senegal, a former French colony, has a population of 12 million and enjoys the reputation of being one of Africa's most stable countries, both politically and economically.

ANI