Caretaker FM to attend urgent meeting of OIC Executive Committee in Saudi Arabia

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani will attend the urgent open-ended Ministerial Meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Executive Committee being held on October 18 in Jeddah.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Foreign Office (FO) said the meeting has been convened by the OIC to discuss the crisis in Gaza and the humanitarian situation of the besieged civilians there.

“The Foreign Minister will deliver a statement at the Ministerial Meeting and present Pakistan’s serious concerns about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasize the urgent need for ceasefire, lifting of the siege and provision of relief assistance to the people of Gaza,” the press release said.

On the sidelines, the caretaker foreign minister will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other OIC member states, the FO concluded.

Israel declared war on the Palestinian group Hamas a day after waves of its fighters broke through Gaza’s heavily militarised border with Israel on October 7.

Israel has responded by pummelling the Gaza Strip with non-stop air and artillery strikes that have flattened neighbourhoods and killed at least 2,750 people in Gaza, mostly civilians.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Pakistan decided to immediately dispatch humanitarian relief assistance to Gaza, to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians.

“The government is coordinating with the Government of Egypt, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, relevant UN agencies, and Pakistan Missions abroad to finalize modalities of delivery,” the FO said.

FM discusses Gaza crisis with Iranian, Egyptian counterparts

Meanwhile, in a statement on the social media platform X on Monday, Jilani said he spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossien Amir Abdollahian and discussed Gaza crisis, killing of civilians and large-scale displacement of Palestinians from their homes.

“We agreed that urgent steps were needed to prevent conflict from escalating and provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza,” he added.

FM discusses Gaza crisis with Iranian, Egyptian counterparts

Separately, he said that as part of efforts for a coordinated response to ongoing conflict in Gaza, he spoke with Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shukri.

“We stressed preventing conflict from escalating, protecting civilians from collective punishment, starvation and displacement. I assured of Pakistan humanitarian assistance,” he added.