DOHA -UNS: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday urged Arab and Islamic leaders to establish a joint task force aimed at countering Israeli aggression and expansionist ambitions, as an emergency summit in Doha debated a draft resolution responding to Israel’s strike on Hamas negotiators in Qatar.
The high-level gathering, held under the umbrella of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), brought together leaders and representatives from around 50 states, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
PM Shehbaz warned that Israel’s actions threatened to destabilise the entire Middle East, describing the attack on Doha as a targeted strike by an “aggressor who violates international law seriously”. He called it a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Qatar” and expressed solidarity with the Gulf state.
In his speech, the prime minister said Israel’s attack was a deliberate attempt to derail peace efforts in the Middle East. “The Israeli attack on Qatar is not apart from the other attacks, it is hegemonic ambition on part of Israel to control the whole region,” he declared. He insisted that the role of mediators must be respected as “sacred” since they were “the hope of peace”.
PM Shehbaz said Pakistan demanded urgent measures to stop what he termed “war crimes” in Gaza. He urged the creation of a task force that could take effective steps to block Israeli expansion plans and called for the suspension of Israel’s membership at the United Nations. He also pressed for other “effective steps” to be taken by the international community against Israel’s actions.
The prime minister said Muslims worldwide were united in condemning Israeli aggression and that the Doha meeting had demonstrated this shared resolve. He highlighted the suffering of Gaza’s civilians, saying: “The whole world is watching a massacre … women and children are facing disaster.”
- PM Shehbaz meets Saudi Crown Prince
On the sidelines of the summit, Shehbaz Sharif held a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir. The two leaders discussed the implications of Israel’s strike on Qatar and exchanged views on regional stability.
According to a statement, PM Shehbaz condemned Israel’s aggression as a calculated attempt to derail peace efforts. He thanked Saudi Arabia for its consistent support to Pakistan and welcomed the kingdom’s leadership role in uniting Muslim nations at a critical moment.
