Pakistan, Muslim Allies to Push Gaza Ceasefire in Istanbul Talks By Arshad Mehmood/The Media Line Foreign ministers from eight Muslim nations attended a consultative meeting in Istanbul on Monday to discuss implementing the Gaza peace plan, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Jordan and Egypt also participated. The foreign ministries of […]
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The Media Line: Pakistan, Muslim Allies to Push Gaza Ceasefire in Istanbul Talks
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Pakistan, Muslim Allies to Push Gaza Ceasefire in Istanbul Talks
By Arshad Mehmood/The Media Line
Foreign ministers from eight Muslim nations attended a consultative meeting in Istanbul on Monday to discuss implementing the Gaza peace plan, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Jordan and Egypt also participated.
The foreign ministries of these countries also attended a meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York in September during which they discussed the Gaza ceasefire and postwar peace deal.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan and seven other Arab and Islamic countries have been involved in efforts to reach a Gaza peace agreement.
He said Pakistan would use the Istanbul meeting to emphasize full implementation of the ceasefire currently on the table.
The spokesperson said, “Pakistan will call for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, emphasize the need for unhindered humanitarian assistance for the Palestinians and the reconstruction of Gaza, and reiterate the demand for the establishment of an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian state.”
The purpose of the meeting is to formulate a joint strategy to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar attended the meeting, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.
Under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, Turkey and Qatar mediated talks between Israel and Hamas in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, resulting in agreements on a ceasefire, a prisoner exchange and several other key issues.
As the only Muslim-majority nation with nuclear weapons, Pakistan played a key role in rallying major Muslim countries behind the peace initiative — a contribution acknowledged by President Trump during the Sharm El Sheikh talks.
The Istanbul meeting comes amid renewed tensions in Gaza and uncertainty over the sustainability of the fragile ceasefire.
When the agreement was first reached, the involvement of these Muslim countries generated a sense of relief and optimism worldwide, particularly within the Muslim Ummah, that lasting peace might finally be possible in the Middle East.
But Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza has brought the situation to a critical juncture. In this context, the Istanbul conference is seen as a highly significant step.
It remains unclear how these Muslim countries — which had previously aligned themselves with President Trump’s peace initiative — will now respond to the evolving situation.