ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will represent Pakistan in the extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Executive Committee being held on Wednesday (7 August) amid heightening tension between Iran and Israel in the wake of assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas, in Tehran last week.

In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Dar will visit Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in the Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee being held on 7 August 2024.

The meeting is being convened at the request of the State of Palestine and Iran to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestine and other regional states.

“As one of the staunchest supporters of the Palestinian cause, Pakistan has always been at the forefront in raising its voice at all international fora, including the OIC,” Baloch said.

At the extraordinary meeting, she added that the deputy prime minister and foreign minister will present Pakistan’s serious concerns about the dire situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East region. “He (Dar) will emphasise the urgency of peace and provision of relief assistance to the people of Gaza,” she said.

On the sidelines, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other OIC member states, she added.

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, 2024, hours after attending the inaugural ceremony of newly-elected President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran has blamed Israel for assassination of the senior Hamas leader and promised “revenge”.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024