DOHA: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday held separate meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein on the sidelines of the Emergency Arab–Islamic Summit convened in Doha after Israel’s attack on Qatar earlier this month.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir accompanied the prime minister in both meetings.
During his meeting with President El-Sisi, the prime minister conveyed Pakistan’s strongest condemnation of the September 9 Israeli strikes against Qatar, terming the aggression a violation of sovereignty and international law. Both leaders expressed solidarity with Qatar and described the attack as reckless and unlawful.
Sharif appreciated Egypt’s active diplomacy during the crisis and said the summit in Doha was an important step to demonstrate Muslim unity against Israel’s actions. He recalled his earlier interactions with El-Sisi — including a meeting at the D-8 Summit in Cairo last December and phone conversations during Eid — and reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to expand bilateral ties with Egypt in trade, investment and health. The two sides agreed to maintain close contact on regional developments.
In a separate engagement, the prime minister met King Abdullah II of Jordan and reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation of Israel’s recent aggression, describing it as an attempt to derail Middle East peace efforts. He lauded the Jordanian monarch’s consistent leadership on the Palestinian cause.
Both leaders underlined the urgency of Muslim unity in responding to Israel’s belligerence and agreed to intensify consultations aimed at mobilising international support for regional peace and stability.
