FM Ishaq Dar to Attend Arab-Islamic Coordination Meeting on Gaza in Istanbul

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar will embark on a one-day visit to Istanbul on Monday to attend the Coordination Meeting of Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers, the Foreign Office announced on Sunday.

The meeting, hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, will focus on the implementation of the Gaza Peace Agreement and regional efforts to strengthen the ongoing ceasefire, according to an official statement.

Pakistan, which has actively supported the Arab-Islamic peace initiative that led to the signing of the Gaza Peace Agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh, will emphasize the importance of fully implementing the truce and ensuring “Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially Gaza.”

The Foreign Office further stated that “Pakistan will also call for the provision of unfettered humanitarian assistance to Palestinians and the reconstruction of Gaza.”

Islamabad will reaffirm its support for collective regional and international efforts to achieve “an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, based on pre-1967 borders in line with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.”

The statement concluded that “Pakistan has been, and will continue to be, committed to efforts to restore peace, justice, and dignity to the Palestinian people, as well as to ensure the realisation of their right to self-determination.”

The Gaza Peace Agreement was signed on October 9 between Hamas and Israel, establishing a ceasefire and the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners — part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the conflict. The accord also allowed increased humanitarian aid into Gaza after more than two years of violence that followed Israel’s bombardment of the enclave in response to Hamas’s October 2023 attack.

Subsequently, on October 13, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, along with the United States, signed a declaration in Sharm El-Sheikh as guarantors of the Gaza ceasefire. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the summit, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace efforts.

Pakistan, alongside Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, and Turkiye, has remained an active participant in diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a lasting and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza.