Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has emphasized the urgent need for unity among Muslim nations to confront the growing challenges facing the Muslim Ummah.
Addressing the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul, Dar strongly condemned Israel’s recent attacks on Iran, calling them a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter. He warned that the rising tensions in the Middle East, fueled by Israeli aggression, pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
Calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, the foreign minister denounced the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, highlighting the tragic loss of thousands of innocent lives, including women and children.
“The time has come for the Muslim Ummah to unite,” Dar stressed. “The OIC is expected to play a decisive and leading role in addressing these critical issues.”
He also raised serious concerns over India's actions in the region, accusing New Delhi of weaponizing water resources against Pakistan. “Blocking Pakistan’s water is tantamount to declaring war,” he asserted.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s call for the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions. He condemned Indian aggression and said that India had targeted innocent Pakistani civilians. In response, Pakistan exercised its right to self-defense, he added.
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Highlighting the growing issue of Islamophobia, the deputy prime minister called for collective action by the Muslim world to counter rising anti-Islam sentiment globally.
He also extended his gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish leadership for their warm hospitality during the conference.
Sideline meetings with Saudi and Kazakh foreign ministers
On the sidelines of the OIC meeting, Ishaq Dar held separate bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan.
During his meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, both sides reaffirmed the deep-rooted brotherly relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. They discussed regional developments and agreed to enhance strategic cooperation in multiple sectors.
In his meeting with Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, Dar expressed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening ties with Kazakhstan. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, and connectivity.
Earlier in the day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed full confidence that Iran will emerge victorious amid rising tensions with Israel, calling the Netanyahu government the greatest threat to regional peace and stability.
Speaking at an emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan likened Israel’s current actions to those of Nazi Germany under Hitler, warning that Tel Aviv’s policies are setting the region—and the world—on fire.
“We are confident that victory will be on Iran’s side,” Erdogan said, adding that “just as the spark ignited by Hitler 90 years ago set the world ablaze, Netanyahu’s Zionist ambitions serve no purpose other than dragging the world into disaster.”
The Turkish leader voiced strong condemnation of the recent Israeli strikes on Iranian soil, calling them a blatant violation of international law. “Iran has the full right to defend itself,” he said, affirming Türkiye’s solidarity with Tehran. “We have no doubt that, with the solidarity it has shown and its deep-rooted state tradition, the Iranian people will overcome these difficult days.”
Erdogan further lambasted Israel’s prolonged military campaign in Gaza, now entering its 21st month. He accused Israeli forces of systematically targeting civilians, including children, and weaponising hunger. “Two million of our brothers and sisters in Gaza have been trying to survive under conditions worse than even the Nazi concentration camps,” he said.
He alleged that Israel is deliberately working to expand the scope of the conflict to the broader region. “Israel wants to set the entire region on fire,” Erdogan warned. “The Israeli Prime Minister’s government is the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in the region.”
He also pointed to Israeli operations in the West Bank, saying the “market of atrocities has heated up there as well.” He criticised the international community’s inaction, urging world powers and Muslim nations alike to take urgent steps to contain the violence. “I appeal to the international community to stop Israel so that the conflict does not spread further.”
In a broader regional context, Erdogan declared that Türkiye would not allow a “new Sykes-Picot order” to emerge in the Middle East, referring to the colonial-era agreement that carved up the region among European powers. “We will not permit a new map to be drawn in blood,” he said.
He also spoke of the need for unity among Muslim countries, suggesting that Istanbul and Tehran shared a “common destiny” and that the Islamic world must act as a united and independent center of power.
“We are on the threshold of an era in which the Islamic world will play a much greater global role. But first, we must resolve our internal disputes. If we do not claim our issues with unity and will, we only serve others’ interests.”
