Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Egypt’s Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty in Doha on Sunday, where both condemned Israel’s recent strikes on Qatar and reaffirmed their firm support for the Palestinian cause.
The meeting came ahead of an emergency Arab-Islamic Summit convened under the umbrella of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Dar, who arrived in Doha earlier in the day, was received by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Qatar Muhammad Aamer, Pakistan’s envoy to the OIC, and senior Qatari officials.
The Foreign Office (FO) confirmed that he would lead Pakistan’s delegation to the preparatory ministerial session, paving the way for the high-level summit of Arab and Muslim leaders.
Tensions flared after Israel carried out airstrikes in Doha on Tuesday, targeting Hamas leaders. The strikes killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer, sparking widespread international condemnation, including from Gulf monarchies traditionally aligned with Washington, Israel’s closest ally.
According to the FO, the emergency summit was called in response to Israel’s aggression against Qatar and escalating developments in Palestine, including attempts to occupy Gaza, expand settlements in the West Bank, and forcibly displace Palestinians.
During their bilateral meeting, Dar and Abdelatty strongly denounced what they described as illegal Israeli strikes on Qatar and other Muslim nations, calling them clear violations of sovereignty and international law. They emphasized the urgent need for unity within the Muslim world to counter such actions and reiterated their countries’ unwavering solidarity with Palestine.
The emergency summit is expected to bring together leaders from more than 50 OIC member states, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Diplomats suggest the deliberations will not only focus on Israel’s strikes but also on broader efforts to advance Palestinian statehood at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
