ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Wednesday assumed the chairmanship of Developing-8 (D-8) group before beginning of the summit in which organisation’s leaders would discuss challenges confronting the member states and set the agenda for next two years.As President Asif Ali Zardari is set to launch the summit today, the foreign minister of Nigeria, the outgoing chairman of the D-8, handed over the chairmanship to Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar who represented the country at the 15th session of Council of Ministers, held on the margins of eighth D-8 Summit.The Nigerian foreign minister opened the session and wished Pakistan the best for assuming the chair. He hoped that Pakistan would play its role for uplifting the D-8 member states.He thanked the member countries, Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Iran, Indonesia, Nigeria and Egypt, for their support.Welcoming the delegates to Islamabad, Foreign Minister Khar condemned Israeli violence on Gaza, saying these acts were violation of human rights and international law.Calling for preferential trade, visa and customs agreement, she said that Pakistan offered investment opportunities to foreign businessmen in energy, communication infrastructure and agriculture.Khar said that Islamabad Summit would be significant because it was coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the founding of the D-8 bloc.She said: “This journey, which we started in 1997, has enriched our fraternal relationships in the last many decades but there is so much more potential that we still have to tap and we hope that we start the journey of tapping that potential from here.”The foreign minister said that the D-8 group of countries had come together in 1997 ‘because we collectively believe that the better future of our people is within grasp.’“We share an intrinsic optimism about the benefits of working together, reducing the barriers that exist between us and enriching the lives of the one billion people of the D-8 countries.”She said that the D-8 countries had a large number of young people and the forum gave the opportunity to ‘collectively reflect how we can work together to break down the barriers to the free movement of goods, ideas, services people between our countries.’The foreign minister underscored that the Islamabad Summit was the event of adoption of two landmark documents - the D-8 Charter and the Global Vision.Commenting on situation in Afghanistan, she said Pakistan desired an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned solution to the problems of the country.Leaders from the eight countries would meet to discuss and explore ways and means to boost cooperation in various fields.The leaders participating in the summit are: Iran President Mahmood Ahmedinejad, Egypt President Mohamed Morsi, Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan, Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Advisor to Bangladesh Prime Minister for International Affairs Professor Gowher Rizvi. The Nigerian president, being the outgoing chairman of the D-8, will open the summit today while President Asif Ali Zardari will deliver the welcome address after assuming the chairmanship.