ISLAMABAD, February 17, 2026: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to New York on Wednesday to take part in a high-level briefing of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in Palestine, the Foreign Office announced.
The session comes amid heightened tensions following Israel’s recent decision to approve land registration in the West Bank for the first time since 1967 — a move critics say could facilitate settlement expansion and potential annexation of Palestinian territory. The development has drawn condemnation from several Muslim-majority countries.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Dar will restate Islamabad’s longstanding position on the Palestinian issue during the UNSC meeting, which will be chaired by Yvette Cooper in her capacity as the Council’s president.
“He will reiterate Pakistan’s firm opposition to Israel’s recent illegal measures aimed at consolidating control over the West Bank,” the statement said. Dar is also expected to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, enhanced humanitarian assistance, and the full implementation of UNSC Resolution 2803.
Resolution 2803, adopted in November last year, endorsed a peace framework proposed by US President Donald Trump for Gaza. The plan outlines a transitional arrangement under which a Palestinian technocratic administration would operate with international oversight.
Islamabad has joined Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Egypt and Türkiye in condemning Israel’s land registration decision, describing it as a step toward accelerating settlement activity and applying Israeli sovereignty over occupied Palestinian land.
During the UNSC briefing, Dar is expected to emphasize Pakistan’s continued diplomatic engagement with regional and international partners, including the Group of Eight Arab and Islamic countries and the United States, to advance a just and durable peace based on international law.
The foreign ministry said Dar will reaffirm Pakistan’s support for the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
On the sidelines of the visit, the deputy prime minister is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts to discuss regional developments and other matters of mutual interest.
Leave a Reply