ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend an emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha on Monday, convened to forge a collective response to Israeli airstrikes on Qatari territory and Tel Aviv’s moves to occupy Gaza and expand West Bank settlements.

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will visit State of Qatar to participate in the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit being held in Doha on 15 September 2025,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

“The summit, cosponsored by Pakistan, has been convened in the wake of Israel’s airstrikes on Doha and the escalating developments in Palestine — following Israeli attempts to occupy Gaza, expand settlement activities in the occupied West Bank and forcibly displace the Palestinians.”

The summit, held under the umbrella of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation, is expected to draw heads of state, governments and senior officials from across the Muslim world. A preparatory meeting of foreign ministers will take place Sunday, with Pakistan represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Co-sponsored by Pakistan, meeting to forge ‘collective response’ to Israeli aggression

Diplomats said more than 50 OIC member states are expected to attend the Doha summit, where leaders may also weigh pushing Palestinian statehood at the upcoming UN General Assembly session in New York.

According to the Foreign Office, the prime minister’s participation reflects Pakistan’s strong condemnation of “Israeli aggression against Qatar”. It noted PM Shehbaz had already visited Doha on Sept 11 to assure the Qatari leadership of Pakistan’s “unwavering support for the security and sovereignty of Qatar and its commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East”.

The OIC condemned Israel’s Sept 9 strike on residential buildings in Doha that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security official. The attack targeted Hamas political leaders, prompting UN Secretary-General António Guterres to call it a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s territorial integrity.

Diplomats said more than 50 OIC member states are expected to attend the Doha summit, where leaders may also weigh in on pushing Palestinian statehood at the upcoming UN General Assembly session in New York.

Repeated attacks

In a separate statement, the OIC Secretariat blasted “hostile statements made by the prime minister of the Israeli occupation government against the State of Qatar,” saying Israel’s “aggressive policies and practices violate international laws, norms, and ethical standards”.

“Repeated Israeli attacks against sovereign states in the region are a matter of grave concern, not only for the Muslim Ummah but also for the wider international community,” FO Spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters Friday. “These provocations represent a dangerous pattern that threatens regional peace and security.”

Since Oct 7, 2023, Israel has carried out military strikes or incursions into at least six Muslim-majority countries. The Doha gathering, moreover, comes as Israel presses ahead with settlement expansion despite international criticism.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the long-stalled E1 project east of Jerusalem, adding thousands of housing units that would sever Palestinian territorial continuity. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the plan a step toward “erasing” the idea of a Palestinian state.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2025