Pakistani FM arrives in Saudi Arabia to attend special OIC meeting on Palestine

SAIMA SHABBIR
In this handout photograph, taken and released by Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (left) gestures during a meeting with Ambassador Ahmad Farooq (2L) and Director General of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Madinah Branch Ibrahim bin Muhammad Saeed Alsobhi (right) at the Madinah Airport on August 6, 2024, as he arrives in Kingdom to participate in the Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee. (Photo courtesy: MOFA)
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  • Meeting convened by State of Palestine and Iran to discuss ‘Israeli aggression against Palestine and other regional states’
  • Dar will use OIC meeting to present Pakistan’s ‘serious concerns about dire situation in Gaza and wider Middle East region’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday arrived in Saudi Arabia to participate in an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Executive Committee on Aug. 7 to discuss Israel’s ongoing war in Palestine, the Pakistani foreign office said.
The meeting was convened on requests by Palestine and Iran to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestine and other regional states. At least 39,550 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli military campaign in Gaza triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year.
Upon arrival at the Madinah airport, FM Dar was received by Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmad Farooq, and Saudi foreign ministry director-general in Madinah, Ibrahim bin Muhammad Saeed Al-Sobhi, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
“As one of the staunchest supporters of the Palestinian cause, Pakistan has always been at the forefront in raising its voice at all international fora, including the OIC,” the foreign office said in a statement.
Dar would use the meeting to present Pakistan’s “serious concerns about the dire situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East region,” according to the foreign office.
“He will emphasize the urgency of peace and provision of relief assistance to the people of Gaza,” it said. “On the sidelines, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other OIC member states.”
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations, the OIC and other multilateral platforms and demanded international powers and bodies stop Israeli military actions in Gaza. The South Asian country has also dispatched several aid consignments for the Palestinians.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties OIC meeting Jeddah Ishaq Dar Arab News Pakistan