ISLAMABAD, March 30: Federal Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider will represent Pakistan in the OIC Ministerial Conference on terrorism beginning in Malaysia from April 1.

The moot will be attended by foreign ministers and top officials of some 50 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) from April 1-3.

Mr Haider left for Kaula Lumpur on Saturday, to attend the three-day conference, where Pakistan was originally scheduled to be represented by Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar. The foreign minister, sources said, could not attend the conference due to personal reasons.

The representatives from some 50 Muslim countries are attending the conference to debate issues of terrorism, including its definition and discriminatory impact on the Muslim world.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Muhammad is scheduled to speak at the inaugural session of the moot.

This OIC meeting would be the largest gathering of Muslim nations on the topic since attacks of Sep 11 in the United States.

The moot, sources in the foreign office said, assumes importance in view of the fact that certain countries— Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Sudan and Somalia— which were dubbed as states sponsoring terrorism by the US, would also be participating in the meeting and giving their points of view.