Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday left for Qatar to participate in an emergency Arab-Islamic summit convened after Israeli airstrikes on Doha and amid escalating tensions over Palestine.
The summit, hosted in Doha under the auspices of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), brings together heads of state, governments, and senior officials from across the Muslim world.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the meeting has been called in response to Israel’s strikes on Qatar, the occupation of Gaza, settlement expansion in the West Bank, and the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar already attended a preparatory meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Doha on Sunday to finalize a draft resolution condemning Israel’s actions.
Qatar’s call for action
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, speaking ahead of the summit, urged the international community to abandon “double standards” and hold Israel accountable for what he described as “crimes” against Palestinians.
“Israel should know that its genocidal war on our brotherly Palestinian people, aimed at expelling them from their land, will not succeed,” he said, vowing that Israeli aggression would not derail Doha’s mediation efforts with Egypt and the US.
Strong representation at Doha meeting
More than 50 OIC member states are expected to attend, with leaders such as Iranian President Masoud Pazishkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan among those confirmed.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Doha on Sunday, while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s participation remains uncertain despite his recent solidarity visit to Qatar.
The summit is seen as a symbolic display of Arab and Islamic unity, particularly from Gulf states allied with the US, some of which normalized relations with Israel in 2020.
Draft resolution and expected outcomes
Diplomats say the draft resolution under discussion denounces Israel’s attack on Qatar as a “destabilizing escalation” and rejects any Israeli “plans to impose a new reality on the region.”
However, the resolution does not currently include economic or diplomatic sanctions against Israel, leaving open the possibility of amendments before leaders finalize it today.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Asharq Al-Awsat that the summit sends a clear message: “Qatar is not alone, Arab and Islamic states stand with it.”
