ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif departed for Doha on a daylong visit to express solidarity with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Qatari royal family, and the Qatari people following the Israeli airstrikes in residential areas of the Qatari capital city.
The prime minister was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz will meet with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and express solidarity with him as well as the people of Qatar in wake of the unjustified Israeli aggression on Qatar in blatant violation of international laws.
The prime minister will also convey to the Qatari leadership that Qatar and Pakistan share longstanding, fraternal ties rooted in shared faith and values, and that Pakistan always stood by Qatar in challenging times and will continue to do so.
Their meeting will also include consultations on Israel’s unwarranted attacks on various countries in the region, its ongoing aggression, and efforts to establish peace in the region.
The visit underscores Pakistan’s unwavering support for the security and sovereignty of Qatar and its commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.
The visit came after Israel carried out an unprecedented attack in Qatar, targeting senior Hamas leadership in Doha as discussions on a US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza were under way.
In response, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a condemnation of the Israeli prime minister’s comments, calling them a “shameful attempt … to justify the cowardly attack that targeted Qatari territory, as well as the explicit threats of future violations of state sovereignty”.
“Netanyahu is fully aware that the hosting of the Hamas office took place within the framework of Qatar’s mediation efforts requested by the United States and Israel,” it said.
“Such statements are hardly surprising coming from an individual who relies on extremist rhetoric to win elections and is wanted for international justice, facing mounting sanctions on a daily basis – factors that only deepen his isolation on the global stage.”
In just three days, Israel has launched attacks in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia and Qatar, while continuing daily raids in the occupied West Bank. On Wednesday, it killed 35 people in an attack in Yemen.
Also read: Israeli strike ‘killed any hope’ for Gaza hostages: Qatar PM
