Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned Israel’s recent strike on Qatar, calling it a grave breach of sovereignty and international law.
“This highly provocative and reckless act is a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, the UN Charter, and international norms governing inter-state relations,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters at the weekly press briefing.
He said Pakistan expressed full solidarity with the people and leadership of Qatar and urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for what he described as “unprovoked and unlawful aggression.”
Khan noted that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had paid an official visit to Doha on September 9 to personally convey Pakistan’s condemnation and solidarity. During his meeting with the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the prime minister reaffirmed Islamabad’s support for Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, expressed condolences over the loss of innocent lives, and stressed that Israel’s “brazen aggression” must be stopped through unity of the Muslim Ummah.
Read More: Pakistan Urges UNSC to Hold Israel Accountable for Attack on Qatar
He said Pakistan, at Qatar’s request, called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, backed by Algeria and Somalia, to discuss the matter. Addressing the UNSC, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar warned that the strike was part of a wider pattern of Israeli aggression across the region, including in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen.
The spokesperson also highlighted Pakistan’s wider diplomatic engagements during the week. He said Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu visited Islamabad with a high-level delegation, during which both sides signed an Action Plan to boost cooperation in trade, agriculture, technology, defense, and culture.
Separately, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler led his country’s delegation to the 16th Pakistan-Turkiye Joint Ministerial Commission, which conducted a comprehensive review of cooperation in defense, trade, pharmaceuticals, education, transport, and tourism.
Read More: Pakistan’s PM Heads to Qatar in Support After Israel’s Doha Attack
Khan said that Pakistan had officially assumed the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) on September 10. As chair, Pakistan will lead regional efforts against terrorism, including activities in cyber security, border control, and countering terrorist financing.
Commenting on the human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Khan condemned the continued denial of bail to senior Kashmiri leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah, who has been diagnosed with cancer. He also criticized India’s takeover of 215 schools run by the Falah-e-Aam Trust, calling the move “coercive and unjust.”
In closing, the spokesperson expressed sorrow over recent tragic events in Nepal, offering condolences to the bereaved families and wishing a swift recovery to the injured. “Pakistan stands in solidarity with the resilient people of Nepal,” he said.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
