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• Expresses Pakistan’s ‘unwavering’ support for Somalia’s sovereignty
• Vows country will work with partners to mobilise global support for Palestinian right to self-determination
• Describes Kashmir dispute as ‘nuclear flashpoint’
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that Pakistan believed the recognition of the so-called “Somaliland” as an independent state by Israel was an act of “political aggression that sets a perilous precedent, threatening peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region, and beyond”.
Mr Dar remarks came while addressing the extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
His comments follow a joint statement by the OIC, which initiated its 22nd extraordinary session in Jeddah on Saturday. The moot has been convened against the backdrop of Israel recognising “Somaliland” as an independent and sovereign state, with its “president”, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, saying it would join the Abraham Accords.
Later, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited “Somaliland”, a move condemned by Somalia as an “unauthorised incursion”.
Mr Dar expressed Pakistan’s “unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia” in his address.
“We strongly condemn the illegal and unlawful recognition by Israel of the Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia and the subsequent unwarranted and highly provocative visit of its foreign minister to Somaliland,” he said.
He added that Pakistan also voiced its firm support for Somalia and condemned Israel’s actions during the UN Security Council’s briefing on the issue. “We identify this development as a direct assault on Somalia’s internationally recognised borders, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law,” Mr Dar said.
“The principle of state sovereignty and territorial integrity constitutes a peremptory norm of international law from which no deviation or derogation is permitted.” Mr Dar called the internationally-recognised borders of Somalia “sacrosanct and inviolable” and said that the Somaliland region remained an “integral, inseparable and inalienable part of Somalia”.
“No external actor has either the legal standing or the moral authority to alter that fundamental reality,” he said. “Any act, statement or recognition thereof by a state or an external entity regarding any part of the Federal Republic of Somalia should therefore be considered null and void, producing no political or legal effects.”
Mr Dar continued that Pakistan believed that the recognition of an integral part of a sovereign state was not a diplomatic act, but an act of “political aggression” that set a “perilous precedent, threatening peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region, and beyond”.
He added that Pakistan joined the group of OIC countries in “unequivocally rejecting the unlawful Israeli move” through the joint statement released in the immediate aftermath of Israel’s recognition of “Somaliland”.
The joint statement termed the recognition of “parts of states” a violation of the cardinal principles of international law and the UN Charter and noted the Israeli action’s potential “serious repercussions” for the Horn of Africa region, the Red Sea region and for international security as a whole, he said.
“The OIC and the wider international community’s firm rejection of this unlawful overture by Israel is, therefore, vital so that the impudent Israeli act does not set a precedent for other countries,” Dar added.
Mr Dar said Pakistan fully aligned itself with the OIC’s call “for all states and organisations to refrain from any form of formal, semi-formal, or informal engagement with the authorities of Somaliland”, and to ensure that any engagement strictly respected the sovereignty and unity of Somalia.
“Pakistan categorically rejects any proposal or plan aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians and linkages of Somaliland region of Federal Republic of Somalia with any such illegal action,” he added.
“Any action that advocates or implies the displacement or relocation of Palestinians not only violates international law but also undermines the prospect of a just and lasting peace in the region.”
Palestinian right
Mr Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle for self-determination, saying that the only path to lasting peace and stability lay in the realisation of an “independent, contiguous and sovereign” state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al Sharif as its capital.
He added that as a “frontline supporter” of the UNSCR 2803 and the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict”, Pakistan reiterated the intention to contribute to its successful implementation thereof, with a view to ensuring the sustainability of the ceasefire, bringing an end to the conflict in Gaza, to secure a “dignified life” for the Palestinian people who had endured prolonged humanitarian suffering, and leading to a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
“As a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Pakistan will continue to work with the OIC and Arab partners to mobilise global support for the Palestinian right to self-determination, justice and peace,” he said.
‘Nuclear flashpoint’
On the topic of India-occupied Kashmir, Mr Dar said that the unresolved dispute remained the “primary source of conflict in South Asia and a nuclear flashpoint”.
He stressed the urgent need for renewed and concerted efforts under the UN auspices to secure a “just, lasting, and peaceful resolution of the dispute”, in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Mr Dar also appreciated the “strong, unwavering and consistent support that the OIC has always afforded to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters”. Nevertheless, he urged the OIC to step up its efforts to support a just resolution of the dispute.
Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2026
