Islamic States Unite.

Byline: Sajjad Ashraf

Pakistan is set to host the 48th session of the Organisation of Islamic Conference's (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad from March 22 to 23, 2022. The occasion also marks the 75th year of Pakistan's independence. Since the OIC's inception on September 25, 1969 Pakistan has hosted several high profile OIC events that includes two summits and four meetings of the foreign ministers of the OIC. In the backdrop of this upcoming meeting, when I get to rewind all these years, it stops at the Second OIC Summit that was held in Lahore in February 1974. As a fresh entrant in Pakistan's foreign office this was my first real exposure to the world of multilateral diplomacy.

Forty-eight years have not dampened the sense of excitement I felt when we were entrusted with a high-profile public task of providing protocol and other administrative support to 45 plus heads of state/government who were expected in Lahore.

That Lahore had very limited hotel rooms (barely better now) made our task daunting. Several affluent Lahoris opened up their homes where these heads of state/government were lodged. Hats off to the Zinda dilaaney Lahore (Large-hearted Lahoris).

Many more details should better be left for another time but one of memorable tasks given to me (by the Chief of Protocol Commodore Anwar Saeed) on which I had great sense of elation and authority (mistakenly) was to prepare the arrival timings and detailed note on the ceremony for each head of state/government. After I had prepared the schedules that meant that the whole day of receiving the distinguished guests, I was told to send telegrams and then call each country's foreign office and tell them the arrival time and details of the airport ceremonies. In 1974, there was no international dialling. Each call had to be booked awaiting connection.

The voice quality was subject to the vagaries of weather. Several calls had to be repeated. I started early morning moving from east of Pakistan to the west and I remember when I finished with about 45 calls it was dark. I was left with a bad throat after speaking loudly most of the day. Each head of delegation was to be personally received by then President Fazal Elahi Chaudhary and Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Each one was given a guard of honour.

Then the usual line-up handshakes, and by the time the VIP left the airport, our dignitaries would be ready to receive the next head of state, after a short bathroom break. I...