Official angle: Pakistan's External Affairs — Regional/International Organizations, 40 Marks
Background
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), founded 1969, is the second-largest intergovernmental organization after the UN, with 57 member states, headquartered in Jeddah.
Case For Relevance
- Provides a unified diplomatic voice on Palestine/Gaza, Kashmir, and Islamophobia (annual resolutions, special sessions on the Gaza war and the New Zealand/other anti-Muslim attacks).
- Platforms like the Islamic Development Bank and standing committees (e.g., on Kashmir, COMIAC) offer functional cooperation channels.
- Convened emergency summits during the 2025–26 Israel-Iran war and Gaza crisis, signalling continued convening power on Muslim-world crises.
Case Against Relevance (Criticism)
- Chronic inability to translate resolutions into binding collective action — no unified response capability on Gaza, Kashmir, or intra-Muslim conflicts (Syria, Yemen, Sudan).
- Deep intra-OIC divisions (Saudi-Iran rivalry historically, Gulf-Qatar rifts, differing responses to Israel normalization/Abraham Accords) undermine consensus.
- Seen by critics as more a symbolic/declaratory body than an operational one, unlike the EU or even ASEAN.
Pakistan's Stance
Pakistan remains a strong OIC advocate, using it to internationalize the Kashmir issue and Islamophobia concerns, and to reinforce its self-image as a leading voice of the Muslim world.
CSS Exam Angle
Balanced conclusion: OIC remains diplomatically relevant as a normative/convening platform but institutionally weak as an enforcement body — reform (weighted voting, standing crisis-response mechanism) is the standard recommended remedy.
Expanded Material for a Full 20-Mark Answer
Introduction (write-up)
Founded in 1969 in the aftermath of the al-Aqsa Mosque arson attack, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was conceived as the collective diplomatic voice of the Muslim world — and more than five decades later, amid the Gaza war's aftermath, the Israel-Iran war, and chronic intra-Muslim conflicts, the question of whether that voice translates into meaningful collective action has never been more pointed.
Additional Dimensions
- Institutional scope: 57 member states across four continents, making it the second-largest intergovernmental organization after the UN by membership; operates through a Secretariat (Jeddah), a Council of Foreign Ministers, and specialized bodies including the Islamic Development Bank (functional economic-cooperation arm) and standing committees (e.g., the Contact Group on Jammu & Kashmir, chaired with Pakistan's active participation).