Deputy PM Dar to attend OIC meeting on Palestine issue

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister (PM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to participate in the Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee being held on 7 August 2024.

The meeting is being convened at the request of the State of Palestine and the Islamic Republic of Iran to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestine and other regional states.

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.

At the Extraordinary Meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister will present Pakistan’s serious concerns about the dire situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East region. He will emphasise the urgency of peace and provision of relief assistance to the people of Gaza.

On the sidelines, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other OIC member states.

Earlier on Saturday, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan fully supported Iran’s call for an “extraordinary meeting” of the OIC after the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in a strike in Tehran.

Acting Foreign Minister of Iran Ali Bagheri Kani telephoned Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday and shared the Iranian nation’s and leadership’s deep anguish on the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

According to the foreign ministry, the deputy prime minister conveyed similar sentiments and Pakistan’s condemnation of the developments in Gaza and the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh “in the strongest possible terms”.