The Pakistan government has decided to suspend cellular phone services in some areas of Islamabad for three days beginning Friday in view of the three-day special OIC session on Afghanisan being held in the capital. Pakistan is hosting the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers conference in Islamabad. The three-day event begins on Friday and the Council of Foreign Ministers will convene on December 19 chaired by Saudi Arabia.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on a request from the interior ministry, has ordered cellular phone companies to suspend services in some areas of Islamabad on December 17, 18, and 19, UNI news agency said quoting Pakistani media. 

Offices of the National Assembly and Senate Secretariat have also been closed for the conference from December 13 to 20 and employees have been sent on leave for this period, Samaa TV reported. There will be no meeting of the Public Accounts Committee or Standing Committees at Parliament House till December 20.

A delegation from Saudi Arabia arrived here early Friday to attend the 17th extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), being held on December 19. The delegation comprised of Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Saud al-Kabir, head of the Afghan affairs department in Saudi Arabia, and Prince Jiluwi bin Turki, head of PP department.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam is also attending. This will be the first visit by a minister from Bangladesh to Pakistan in the last decade.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen will attend a meeting of senior officials on December 18. Foreign Ministry sources said no bilateral meeting with Pakistan outside the OIC programme was scheduled. Gawhar Rizvi, Advisor to the Prime Minister on International Relations, last attended the D-8 Summit in Pakistan in 2012. (SAM)