PM Shehbaz to attend Arab-Islamic Summit in Qatar

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to leave for Qatar on a one-day visit to attend the Arab-Islamic Summit.

An emergency Arab-Islamic summit has begun in Doha after Israel launched an unprecedented attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital last week. Analysts believe the strikes, which came as Qatar was mediating Gaza ceasefire talks, have badly affected efforts to reach an Israel-Hamas truce and secure the release of Israeli hostages before the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.

The summit, co-sponsored by Pakistan, follows a preparatory meeting of foreign ministers. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar led the Pakistan delegation in Doha and met OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha. Both sides emphasized the need for a united pan-Islamic response to Israel’s aggression in the Middle East. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also attending the summit along with heads of state, governments, and senior officials from OIC member countries.

According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, Dar and the OIC chief strongly condemned Israeli attacks on Qatar and other regional states, calling them blatant violations of sovereignty and international law. Pakistan has already denounced Israeli airstrikes on Doha, expressing full solidarity with Qatar. Islamabad has also stressed that it attaches high importance to its ties with Doha, rooted in shared faith and values.

Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to condemn Israel’s ongoing military offensives in Gaza, which have killed nearly 65,000 people, mostly women and children, since October 2023. Islamabad has repeatedly called for an unconditional ceasefire and demanded global accountability for what it describes as Israel’s war crimes. Pakistan does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. It supports a two-state solution, calling for an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, based on pre-1967 borders.