ISLAMABAD – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar left Islamabad on Thursday for Saudi Arabia to participate in the Open-Ended Extraordinary Ministerial Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Executive Committee. The session will take place in Jeddah from February 26 to 28, according to a Foreign Office announcement on X.
During his visit, Ishaq Dar is scheduled to hold sideline meetings with counterparts from OIC member states. He will also undertake brief visits to the Holy Cities, highlighting the diplomatic and cultural aspects of the trip.
The OIC session is expected to focus on recent developments in the occupied West Bank, particularly Israel’s declaration of lands as its property. Diplomatic sources indicate that member states are likely to issue a strong condemnation of these actions.
Earlier, on February 22, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, along with the OIC, League of Arab States, and Gulf Cooperation Council, expressed “profound concern” over comments made by the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. The remarks suggested he would not oppose Tel Aviv taking over large parts of the region, contradicting the US vision for a Gaza peace settlement.
Ishaq Dar, who recently accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Staff Asim Munir to Qatar, engaged in discussions with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on bilateral cooperation and the evolving regional security situation. Analysts note that Pakistan’s concerns over Afghanistan, the Iran-US standoff, and the Gaza peace plan were likely discussed during these meetings.
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The participation of Ishaq Dar in the OIC session underscores Pakistan’s active diplomatic engagement in regional stability and its commitment to supporting Palestinian rights. Officials say his role will focus on building consensus among member states and ensuring coordinated diplomatic efforts on critical regional issues.
