Dar Demands Renewed Diplomatic Push for Palestine
At OIC Committee of Six meeting in New York, Ishaq Dar calls for protection of Jerusalem’s holy sites, implementation of the Gaza peace framework and coordinated diplomatic efforts towards an independent Palestinian state.
NEW YORK: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has called for renewed and coordinated diplomatic action by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to protect Palestinian rights and advance a political process towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Addressing a meeting of the OIC Committee of Six on Palestine in New York on September 22, Dar said the Palestinian cause remained central to the OIC and the “collective conscience of the Muslim Ummah,” according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The foreign minister said the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza and the West Bank, continued to require urgent international attention. He described the humanitarian situation as dire and the security environment as fragile, while alleging that the Gaza ceasefire was being violated almost daily.
Dar welcomed diplomatic efforts by the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye to advance implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, which was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
UN records confirm that Resolution 2803 was adopted on November 17, 2025, by 13 votes in favour, with China and Russia abstaining. The resolution endorsed the Comprehensive Plan and called on the parties to implement it in its entirety, including maintaining the ceasefire.
Pakistan Raises Concerns Over Settlements and Al-Aqsa
Dar also raised concerns over Israeli settlement expansion, settler actions and annexation-related measures in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, arguing that these developments threaten the territorial integrity and contiguity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the viability of a future Palestinian state.
Pakistan also condemned what Dar described as continued Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, including incursions by Israeli settlers. He said the historical and legal status quo governing Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem must be protected.
Presenting Pakistan’s priorities for the OIC Committee of Six, Dar called for opposition to settlement expansion, annexation measures, settler violence and forced displacement. He also urged OIC members to support implementation of the Gaza peace framework and strengthen coordination at the United Nations and other international forums.
Pakistan Calls for Palestinian-Led Gaza Reconstruction
A key element of Pakistan’s position was that Gaza’s reconstruction and governance arrangements should remain Palestinian-led, with a central role for the Palestinian Authority. Resolution 2803 itself establishes a transitional framework for Gaza and envisages a future role for the Palestinian Authority subject to reforms outlined in the plan.
Dar further called for accountability for violations of international law and international humanitarian law and urged sustained international efforts towards what he described as a “credible, irreversible and time-bound” political process.
Pakistan reiterated its support for an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, as well as full Palestinian membership of the United Nations.
Concluding his address, Dar said members of the OIC Committee of Six had a particular responsibility to convert collective solidarity into sustained diplomatic action, reaffirming Pakistan’s continued support for the Palestinian cause and a negotiated political settlement consistent with international law and relevant international frameworks.
