ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar voiced Pakistan’s profound concern over the ongoing brutal military offensive by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.
Speaking at the 15th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit Conference in Banjul, The Gambia, Dar urged OIC Member States to collaborate for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as well as continuous humanitarian aid for the besieged Palestinians.
He also reiterated Pakistan’s backing for Palestine’s full membership in the UN, resumption of peace talks for the two-State solution, and the establishment of a viable, contiguous, and sovereign State of Palestine with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Highlighting the atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Dar urged the OIC to implement its Action Plan on Jammu and Kashmir, demand an end to human rights violations by India, release Hurriyat leaders, and repeal its illegal demographic laws.
Dar appreciated the OIC’s steadfast support for the Kashmir cause and urged member countries to use their influence to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council and OIC resolutions.
He condemned the rise of Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims globally, urging the OIC to devise a joint strategy to work with social media platforms to regulate blasphemous and Islamophobic content.
Dar strongly denounced the surge in anti-Pakistan rhetoric and Islamophobic narratives by India’s political leaders during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, which posed a threat to regional stability.
He emphasized Pakistan’s continuous struggle against externally sponsored terrorism and stressed the OIC’s potential role in global economic growth.
Dar called for collective action by the OIC to address the existential threat of climate change, which had caused catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022.
Finally, Dar expressed Pakistan’s support for revitalizing and reforming the UN system, particularly the UN Security Council, to enhance representation, democracy, and effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security.
