FM Dar, Malaysian counterpart calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

RIYADH: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Monday met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan in which they reviewed the broad range of relations with a special focus on enhancing trade and investment ties.

In the meeting held on the sidelines of the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) being held here, two sides agreed to hold the next round of Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Islamabad during the year.

In the Joint Ministerial Commission meeting, the two sides will study the markets and take full advantage of the opportunities offered in various sectors for tangible economic outcomes, according to a press release.

Regular high-level contacts provide a leadership-driven impetus to bilateral trade and investment relations. In this backdrop, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar invited the Malaysian foreign minister to undertake a visit to Pakistan, which he accepted.

Discussing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the two sides emphasized the immediate cessation of hostilities and called for providing urgent humanitarian relief to Palestinians.

They also underscored closer cooperation within the framework of OIC for finding a peaceful and durable solution to the Palestinian question.

The war in Gaza, which has sent regional tensions soaring, began with an unprecedented attack on southern Israel by Hamas on October 7.

The attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel estimates that 129 hostages seized on October 7 are still being held in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,454 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the region’s health ministry.