Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, expressed deep concern about Israel’s continuous military attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
At the 15th OIC Summit Conference in Gambia, he showed solidarity with Palestinians under siege. He urged OIC member countries to push for an immediate ceasefire without conditions and to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need.
Pakistan also supported Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations. Dar emphasized the importance of restarting peace talks to achieve a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital, based on pre-1967 borders.
Regarding Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Dar criticized India’s unlawful actions and demanded the implementation of OIC’s Action Plan for the region. He called on the OIC to pressure India to stop human rights violations, release political prisoners, and undo laws that change the area’s demographics.
He also talked about the rise in Islamophobia worldwide. Dar suggested that the OIC work with major social media platforms to tackle blasphemous and anti-Islamic content. He praised the OIC for appointing a Special Envoy on Islamophobia.
Addressing regional issues, he condemned India’s use of anti-Pakistan and Islamophobic rhetoric during its ongoing Lok Sabha elections. He also mentioned Pakistan’s resilience against terrorism sponsored from outside the country and the role the OIC could play in promoting global economic growth.
The foreign minister urged the OIC to address climate change collectively. He referenced Pakistan’s severe floods in 2022 as evidence of the urgent need to tackle this global issue.
Finally, he repeated Pakistan’s support for reforming the United Nations Security Council to make it more democratic and representative, aiming for better international peace and security.
