Pakistan, as an elected member of the UN Security Council, has called for the immediate reversal of all Israeli measures aimed at the de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank. 

Addressing the extraordinary ministerial session of the OIC executive committee, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing the Palestinian cause. He pledged continued support for the cause at all UN bodies, the OIC, and other multilateral platforms.

“We must collectively ensure full respect for and protection of the historic and legal status quo at all holy sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Dar said, urging an immediate end to all forms of displacement, demographic manipulation, and collective punishment against Palestinians throughout the occupied territories.

Read More: Dar arrives in Jeddah for OIC meeting

Dar also emphasised the need for the full and faithful implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which includes strict adherence to the ceasefire in Gaza, and the immediate commencement of Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery with full Palestinian ownership and the central involvement of the Palestinian Authority.

“A credible, irreversible, and time-bound political horizon must be established, leading to the creation of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with relevant UN and OIC resolutions,” the foreign minister added.

Clarifying Pakistan’s position, Dar noted that, in pursuit of these objectives, Pakistan, as part of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic countries, joined the Board of Peace (BoP), as endorsed by UNSC Resolution 2803.

Pakistan also reiterated its strong condemnation of the inflammatory remarks made recently by the United States Ambassador to Israel, suggesting that it would be acceptable for Israel to control territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank. 

Dar termed such remarks as irresponsible, deeply concerning, and condemnable. He further noted that these statements were inconsistent with international law and the UN Charter, undermining the sovereignty of Arab states, and could embolden Israel’s illegal actions.

The deputy prime minister drew a parallel between the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), noting the stark similarities. He highlighted that Indian occupation forces continue to unleash terror in IIOJK, with systematic human rights violations and demographic manipulation aimed at making Kashmiris a minority in their own land.

“We appreciate the strong, unwavering support that the OIC has always afforded to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters. However, we urge the OIC to step up efforts for a just resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute,” Dar concluded.

Read More: Qatari minister praises PM Shehbaz’s visit in call with Ishaq Dar

Earlier, upon his arrival in Jeddah, the DPM was received by OIC Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs, Samir Bakr, along with Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the OIC.