Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Qatar on Monday to attend the Arab-Islamic emergency summit in Doha, convened after Israel’s airstrikes in the Qatari capital last week. He was received by Qatar’s Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The summit, co-sponsored by Pakistan, has been called in response to Israeli attacks on Hamas leaders in Doha and rising tensions in Palestine. Leaders and senior officials from member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation are expected to participate.
The prime minister is accompanied by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was already in Doha and took part in the preparatory foreign ministers’ meeting.
During his earlier visit to Doha on September 11, Shehbaz expressed solidarity with Qatar and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and stability. Dar, meanwhile, held meetings with counterparts from Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan, as well as the OIC secretary general.
Addressing the ministerial session, Dar said Israel must be held accountable for war crimes and violations of international law. He called the strike on Qatar a clear breach of sovereignty and the UN Charter.
He described the attack as a strike not only on a sovereign state but also on diplomacy itself, given Qatar’s role in mediation and dialogue. Dar reiterated Pakistan’s support as a non-permanent UN Security Council member to mobilise international consensus on accountability and Palestinian rights.
He outlined urgent steps, including creating an Arab-Islamic task force to counter Israeli actions, suspending Israel’s UN membership, and adopting punitive measures to deter further violations. He also called for a permanent ceasefire, prisoner exchanges, humanitarian access and renewed political efforts for a two-state solution.
