ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday strongly criticized Israel for committing acts of barbarity in Palestine and flagrantly violating international laws in the “extra-territorial killing” of Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh’s death was announced on Wednesday by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who said he and his bodyguard were killed in a strike on their accommodation in the Iranian capital at 2:00 a.m. (2230 GMT). Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Iranian president.
It came just hours after Israel targeted and killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in a retaliatory strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut, sending fears of a wider regional war soaring in fallout from the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
While Israel has refrained from commenting on the Tehran strike, Iran has vowed retaliation against the Jewish state for carrying out an assassination on its soil.
“I believe the entire world has condemned it [Haniyeh’s killing] in the strongest words,” Sharif said while chairing a meeting of the parliamentary members of his ruling coalition government.
“An extra-territorial killing was conducted in which Ismail Haniyeh was martyred through a rocket,” he said, regretting that international laws were violated in the act.
The prime minister regretted the world’s “silence” over the incident, saying that it was a time for reflection for the international community.
He noted that Israel had violated United Nations Security Council resolutions repeatedly since last year, lamenting that the Jewish state was not stopping its military offensive in Palestine despite the International Court of Justice describing its actions as “genocide.”
He thanked Ireland and Spain for recognizing the state of Palestine and supporting the two-state solution in the Middle East.
‘ACT OF DANGEROUS ESCALATION’
Separately, Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday denounced Israel’s act of assassinating Haniyeh, saying that it was an act of “dangerous escalation.”
“Yesterday’s assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of the political bureau of Hamas in Tehran, was an act of dangerous escalation in an already volatile region and undermines efforts for peace,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters at a news conference.
“We express our condolences to his family and the Palestinian people. His killers must be held to account.”
Baloch said Israel had unleashed a “campaign of terror” against the Palestinian people since October 2023.
“Its war on Gaza and the inhumane siege in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law have resulted in misery, death and destruction,” she added.
“These acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. We call upon the United Nations to uphold international law and to bring an end to the genocide of the people of Gaza.”
She reiterated Pakistan’s support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination, their right of return to their homeland and the establishment of an independent state for them “with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
Pakistan PM condemns Israel for Hamas leader’s ‘extra-territorial killing’ in Tehran
https://arab.news/6qvrp
Pakistan PM condemns Israel for Hamas leader’s ‘extra-territorial killing’ in Tehran
- Ismail Haniyeh and bodyguard were killed in Tehran on Wednesday when a rocket struck his accommodation
- Shehbaz Sharif says Israel flagrantly violated international laws in Haniyeh’s assassination, regrets world’s “silence”
Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.
Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties.
“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”
Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said.
Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.
On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”
“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said.
He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests.
Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability.
“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.
