Deputy PM Dar reaches Istanbul for key OIC meeting
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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar arrived in Istanbul on Saturday to participate in the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The two-day conference is being held at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East following Israel's strikes on Iranian targets, including the recent attack on the Khondab nuclear facility, and the ongoing war on Gaza.
Dar is expected to share Pakistan's perspective on recent developments in South Asia, including the ceasefire arrangement with India, and reiterate Pakistan's support for Palestinian statehood.
Read: Iran-Israel conflict intensifies as Geneva talks falter
He will also stress the urgent need to establish peace in the Middle East and call for immediate humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza, who remain under siege.
The OIC summit, hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, opened under the theme 'The Organization of Islamic Cooperation in a Transforming World.'
The session has drawn record-high participation, with over 1,000 delegates expected, including 43 foreign ministers and five deputy ministers from member states.
The summit is being closely watched as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is also expected to attend, according to a Turkish foreign ministry source quoted by Anadolu Agency.
On Thursday, Israel launched an airstrike on the Khondab nuclear site in Arak. The Israeli military said it had targeted a partially built heavy-water reactor, which experts believe could eventually produce weapons-grade plutonium.
In response, Türkiye sharply criticised Israel's actions, calling them illegal, and backed Iran's right to self-defence. Turkish officials have called on Muslim nations to unite in the face of what they described as 'destabilising actions' in the region.
Foreign Minister Fidan is expected to deliver a strong statement at the summit urging member states to form a unified stance. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also address the conference.
In addition to OIC members, high-level representatives from 30 international organisations are attending, including the United Nations, Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, Organization of Turkic States, D-8, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the World Trade Organization.
Read more: UN chief urges parties to 'give peace a chance' on Iran-Israel war
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the Istanbul meeting is one of the largest diplomatic gatherings in OIC history.
The organisation, which includes 57 Muslim-majority states, serves as a key platform for political and diplomatic collaboration in the Islamic world.
On the sidelines of the summit, an extraordinary session of the Arab League's ministerial conference will also be held in Türkiye—the first time the group convenes a meeting in the country.
More than 200 journalists from local and international media are covering the event.
The two-day conference is expected to result in a joint declaration addressing current regional conflicts, humanitarian concerns, and the need for greater Islamic solidarity in the face of global challenges.
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