Shehbaz attended the Doha summit to back action against Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders.
Leaders condemned global silence and double standards.
Limited action is expected despite rising regional tensions.
Shehbaz Joins Emergency Arab–Islamic Summit in Doha
Pakistan’s PM backs coordinated response to Israel’s strike on Qatar, calls for holding Tel Aviv accountable amid rising Middle East tensions.
Summary
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, departed for Qatar on Monday for a one-day visit to attend an emergency Arab-Islamic nations' summit in Doha to discuss a potential coordinated response to Israel's attack on the Hamas leadership in the Gulf nation.
According to PTI the summit was called in response to Israel's September 9 airstrikes on Doha and the deteriorating human rights situation in Gaza. The incident claimed the lives of five Hamas members and a security guard from Qatar.
Prime Minister Shehbaz is accompanied by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and the PM's Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is already in Doha.
Shehbaz was in Qatar for the second time in a week. In response to Tel Aviv's attacks on Doha's residential areas, he traveled to Doha on Thursday to meet with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and show support.
PTI reported that it is anticipated that a number of senior leaders from the member nations of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would attend the Doha summit. The purpose of the meeting is to give Israel a clear message.
At a closed-door gathering of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Doha on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called on the world community to stop using "double standards."
"What encourages Israel to continue its behaviour is the silence of the international community and its failure to hold Israel accountable,” he said.
But nothing more from the rhetoric is expected despite a hope for serious action, officials said.
Notably, the Abraham Accords signed in 2021 led to the announcement of normal relations between Israel and a number of Arab nations.
The OIC and the 22-member Arab League are hosting the summit together in Doha.
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Political tensions in the Middle East are rising at the time of the summit. As the third year of Israel's conflict in Gaza approaches, other nations in the region are now feeling the effects of its destruction.
Despite the Gulf countries' mediation efforts to stop the war in Gaza, Israel struck Qatar. In the past, Israel has also attacked Syria, Yemen, Iran, and Lebanon.
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