Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday emphasized the need to stop Israel’s brazen aggression in the Middle East, adding the Muslim Ummah must unite to counter Israeli provocations.
The prime minister paid an official one-day visit to Qatar to express solidarity with its people and leadership in the wake of Israeli airstrikes on Doha earlier this week. During his visit, he met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad and conveyed Pakistan’s strongest condemnation of the Israeli attack on Qatar’s capital, describing it a blatant and flagrant violation of the Gulf state’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif said the leadership and people of Pakistan were deeply disturbed by the attack against brotherly state Qatar, adding it constituted a serious breach of international law.
Reaffirming the historic and fraternal bonds between Pakistan and Qatar, the prime minister recalled that the two countries had proudly stood with each other through thick and thin. It was in this spirit of brotherhood, he said, that Pakistan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Qatari emir, the royal family, and the brotherly people of Qatar during this challenging time.
Sharif assured the Qatari leadership of Pakistan’s full solidarity and support in the face of this unjustified provocation. He also conveyed deep sympathies on the loss of precious lives in this “dastardly and heinous attack” and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured.
Appreciating Qatar’s responsible, constructive and mediatory role in efforts to bring peace in Gaza, the premier stressed that such acts of Israeli aggression were clearly meant to undermine regional stability and threaten ongoing diplomatic and humanitarian efforts. Sharif noted that Pakistan had, at Qatar’s request, requisitioned an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council to discuss recent developments in the Middle East. He also welcomed Qatar’s decision to host an Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Sept. 15, saying Pakistan had indicated its willingness to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to co-sponsor and co-convene this Summit.
Sharif also thanked Qatar’s emir for his country’s strong support to Pakistan during its standoff with India earlier this year.
The Prime Minister’s Office statement said the emir of Qatar had thanked the prime minister for his thoughtful gesture of visiting Doha to express his solidarity with Qatar at this time. Both leaders agreed to maintain close coordination in promoting regional peace, upholding international law and supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
During his visit, the premier was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to the P.M. Tariq Fatemi.
On Tuesday Israel struck Doha, targeting Hamas leaders. The Palestinian group has said its top officials survived, but five members were killed, as well as a member of the Qatari security force.