JEDDAH (Web Desk) – Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has pledged to deepen Pakistan’s relations with Egypt and Algeria through wider cooperation and closer connectivity, as he held key meetings on the sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) extraordinary session in Saudi Arabia.
Dar, who is in Jeddah on a two-day visit, met with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Algeria’s FM Ahmed Attaf on Tuesday. Calling the talks a “meaningful interaction,” he said Pakistan was committed to strengthening its brotherly ties with North African nations in diverse fields.
The three ministers also discussed the worsening situation in Gaza, stressing the urgent need for humanitarian access, a ceasefire, and lasting peace. They underlined the importance of Muslim unity in the face of Israel’s military campaign.
At the OIC session a day earlier, Dar condemned Israel’s “annexationist and rogue mindset,” warning that its plan to take control of Gaza City posed a grave threat to regional peace.
He laid out seven “urgent steps” for Muslim nations and the international community to stop the war and secure lasting peace in Palestine.
DPM Dar reaches Saudi Arabia to attend OIC session on Gaza crisis
Pakistan also backed a joint statement issued by 31 Arab-Islamic states and top regional bodies denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks on “Greater Israel.”
During his visit, Dar also met Turkish FM Hakan Fidan, expressing appreciation for Ankara’s leadership as OIC chair and reaffirming Pakistan-Türkiye brotherhood. He further held talks with diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia, and Bangladesh.
Earlier this year, Islamabad and Cairo had agreed to enhance collaboration in health, with Egypt’s Al-Azhar University planning to set up a campus in Pakistan.