Feb. 26, 2026 | Islamabad/Jeddah
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, departed Islamabad on Thursday for a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he is set to attend an emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah addressing recent Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank.
The extraordinary ministerial meeting comes in the wake of Israel’s decision earlier this month to approve land registration procedures in parts of the West Bank for the first time since 1967, a move critics say facilitates settlement expansion and potential annexation. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Muslim-majority nations and several European countries, which issued a joint statement urging Israel to reverse its actions and curb settler violence against Palestinian residents.
During the session, Dar is expected to present Pakistan’s formal stance, emphasizing the illegality of Israeli settlements under international law and Pakistan’s longstanding support for Palestinian self-determination.
“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has departed Islamabad for Saudi Arabia to attend the Open-Ended Extraordinary Ministerial Session of the OIC Executive Committee in Jeddah (26–28 February 2026),” the Foreign Office of Pakistan said in a statement. “He will hold sideline meetings with counterparts from OIC Member States and undertake brief visits to the Holy Cities.”
More than 500,000 Israelis currently reside in settlements and outposts across the West Bank, excluding Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, alongside nearly three million Palestinians. Settlements are widely considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this designation.
At a weekly briefing in Islamabad, Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Office, said the ministerial session would review Israel’s latest attempt to impose its sovereignty over occupied territory.
“In the ministerial session of this OIC event, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will share Pakistan’s perspective on this latest illegal measure by Israel to convert areas of the occupied West Bank into the so-called state land,” Andrabi said.
The OIC meeting, attended by foreign ministers from member states, is expected to deliberate on coordinated diplomatic responses, humanitarian protections for Palestinians, and strategies to prevent further settlement expansion. Pakistan has consistently called for adherence to United Nations resolutions affirming Palestinian rights and has urged the international community to take concrete action to uphold these standards.
Dar’s visit also includes bilateral discussions with counterparts from key OIC countries, reflecting Islamabad’s broader diplomatic efforts to consolidate Muslim solidarity on the Palestine issue while engaging with regional powers in the Gulf.
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