A high-level meeting is underway in Qatar, organized under the umbrella of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and is expected to attract heads of state and senior officials from across the Muslim world. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, is already in Doha and actively participated in a meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday to help draft a resolution that will be discussed at today’s summit, which Pakistan has also co-sponsored.
The summit was called to rally support for Qatar following the September 9 Israeli attack that targeted Hamas leaders in the Gulf state. The attack killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer. Widely condemned by major world powers, the assault took place while negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were in progress, a process in which Qatar has been playing a crucial role.
Analysts suggest that this Arab-Islamic summit is intended to send a clear message to Israel. The attack has prompted U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states to close ranks, adding to the strain in ties between the UAE and Israel, which had normalized relations in 2020.
Pakistan Calls for Action Against Israel
According to a Dawn report, diplomats stated that leaders at the summit might also discuss pushing for Palestinian statehood at the upcoming UN General Assembly session in New York. In addition to PM Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani are also set to attend. Turkish media has also reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to participate. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas arrived in Doha on Sunday, ahead of the summit.
However, it remains to be seen whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, will attend, although he visited Qatar earlier this week as a show of solidarity.
After arriving in Doha, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar called for urgent steps against Israel to “safeguard the global order.” In a speech at the ministerial meeting in the Qatari capital, Dar highlighted that the frequency of meetings to discuss Israel’s activities in the region underscores “how Israel has become a persistent irritant and a danger to world peace and security,” according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO). Dar was quoted as saying, “Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the illegal and unprovoked Israeli aggression against the brotherly State of Qatar.”
Following Israel’s attack, PM Shehbaz had already undertaken a one-day visit to Doha last week, where he met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to denounce the Israeli action and show solidarity with the Gulf state.
