Pakistan to Press for Full Gaza Truce at Arab-Islamic FMs Meeting in Istanbul
Assalamu alaikum-ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, will urge full implementation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza at an Arab-Islamic foreign ministers’ meeting in Istanbul on Monday, the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Istanbul gathering will examine the US peace plan for Gaza and consider “what we can achieve together in the next stage.”
Ministers from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were invited to the meeting. At the request of the Turkish foreign minister, Dar will make a one-day visit to Istanbul to take part in the coordination meeting.
Pakistan will stress the urgent need for full implementation of the ceasefire, the complete Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially Gaza, and the delivery of unrestricted humanitarian aid to the Palestinians as well as the reconstruction of Gaza, the foreign ministry said.
Pakistan will also reiterate calls for collective action to secure an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, based on pre-1967 borders and in line with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
Turkish FM Fidan noted there are several questions to tackle at the meeting: What are the obstacles to implementing the ceasefire? What challenges lie ahead? What are the next steps? What will we discuss with our Western partners? And what support exists for ongoing talks with the United States?
Fidan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking a pretext to break the ceasefire and resume large-scale attacks on Gaza. The comment came after Israeli strikes this week killed several people in Gaza, testing the fragile truce.
The US-backed ceasefire took effect on October 10, ending two years of war that began after the October 7, 2023 attacks and which devastated the Gaza Strip. Pakistan said it remains committed to supporting efforts to restore peace, justice, and dignity to the Palestinian people and to uphold their right to self-determination.
Wa salaam.
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