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NEW YORK, September 22, 2026: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for stronger coordination among Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states at the United Nations and other international forums.
Dar made the remarks while addressing the OIC Committee of Six on Palestine on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He said the committee had an important role in mobilising political and diplomatic support for Palestinians.
“The Palestine cause remains central to the OIC and the collective conscience of the Muslim Ummah,” Dar said.
The foreign minister also urged OIC members to work together to protect Palestinians and uphold international law.
Dar said the Gaza ceasefire was being violated almost daily, according to his remarks.
He said the humanitarian situation remained critical and the security environment fragile.
Recent diplomatic efforts had created an opportunity for a political process, Dar said. However, he added that major challenges remained.
The foreign minister welcomed the efforts of the United States, Qatar and Türkiye to advance implementation of the plan aimed at ending the Gaza conflict.
He also called for continued diplomatic engagement to protect Palestinian civilians and support humanitarian efforts.
Dar also raised concerns about developments in the occupied West Bank.
He criticised Israeli settlement activity, settler violence, annexation measures and what he described as violations of Palestinian rights.
According to Dar, such developments threaten the territorial continuity of the occupied Palestinian territory.
He said the situation could also undermine prospects for a future Palestinian state.
Dar further condemned what he described as continued Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
He called for protection of the historical and legal status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem.
Dar called for renewed and coordinated diplomatic action by the OIC and its member states.
He outlined priorities for the Committee of Six, including protecting the status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The foreign minister also urged the committee to oppose settlement expansion, annexation measures, settler violence and forced displacement in the occupied Palestinian territory.
He stressed that reconstruction and governance arrangements in Gaza should remain Palestinian-led.
Dar also called for a central role for the Palestinian Authority in future governance arrangements.
Another priority, he said, should be accountability for violations of international law and international humanitarian law.
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Dar said international diplomatic efforts should ultimately lead to a credible and time-bound political process.
He reiterated Pakistan’s support for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Pakistan also supports full membership for Palestine at the United Nations, he said.
“As members of the OIC Committee of Six, we have a particular responsibility to translate our collective solidarity into sustained and coordinated diplomatic action,” Dar said.
He added that Pakistan would continue working with partner countries to advance the Palestinian cause and support what it described as a just and lasting peace.
Dar is in New York as part of Pakistan’s delegation for the 81st UN General Assembly session, which runs from September 21 to 25.
The Foreign Office said his programme includes OIC meetings, discussions on Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, and other high-level engagements.
Dar has also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA. On September 21, he met EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and discussed Pakistan-EU trade relations and the importance of GSP+.
Pakistan has continued to call for a political process leading to a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. The Foreign Office has also previously stressed the need for Palestinian-led governance and reconstruction in Gaza.
