ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday called for greater diplomatic coordination among the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries to reject Israel’s violations of international law against Palestinians, urging the global body to work toward ending the forceful displacement of Palestinians.
These comments from Dar came during a meeting of the OIC Committee of Six in New York. The Pakistani deputy PM, who is also the country’s foreign minister, is in New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The foreign office said he will press for an independent Palestinian state during his official trip and highlight Pakistan’s efforts to broker peace between the US and Iran.
His comments come as Israel continues to carry out military campaigns in Gaza. An Israeli drone strike killed one Palestinian and wounded several others on Monday evening in central Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
“The ongoing situation requires renewed and coordinated diplomatic action by the OIC and its member states,” Dar said in televised remarks at the OIC meeting.
He urged the global body to work toward safeguarding the legal and historical status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and reject Israel’s illegal settlement expansion, annexationist measures, settler violence and forced displacement of the people of Palestine.
Dar was referring to Israel’s increased military action in the West Bank as well, with the area seeing a sharp increase in Israeli raids by forces and settlers since October 2023.
Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have also been enduring movement restrictions and closures at the entrances to their towns and villages in recent days.
Dar called for greater coordination among OIC member states at the UN and other international forums to protect the Palestinian people and to uphold international law.
“[The OIC should] support accountability for violations of international law and international humanitarian law,” he added.
Dar said the OIC states should ensure implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan and the UN Security Council’s resolutions on Palestine. He said member states should also ensure that the reconstruction and governance arrangements of Gaza remain Palestinian-led, with a central role for the Palestinian Authority.
Pakistan has criticized Israel for its military operations in Gaza, which began in October 2023. At least 73,914 Palestinians have been killed and 174,952 wounded since then, as per Palestinian health authorities.
Pakistan is an integral part of the OIC and has always lobbied for the inter-governmental body to resist Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories diplomatically.
Pakistan does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. It has always supported an independent Palestinian state, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital, as per the pre-1967 borders.
