ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar this week called for an extraordinary summit of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the ongoing plight of the people of Palestine, and US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinians in Gaza to other countries. 

Earlier last month Trump suggested that Palestinians residing in Gaza should be resettled in Egypt, Jordan or other countries while addressing the media alongside visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The proposal was rejected by both Egypt and Jordan and countries including Pakistan, prompting condemnation from various international rights groups as well.

Dar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi over the telephone during which both diplomats discussed Trump’s proposal. Dar described it as “deeply troubling and unjust,” the foreign office said on Saturday. 

“He also conveyed Pakistan’s support for convening of an Extraordinary OIC meeting of Foreign Ministers to deliberate upon this issue,” the foreign office said in its statement. 

“The two Ministers agreed to maintain close contact on these developments in the days ahead.”

Dar said the Palestinian land belongs to the people of Palestine, adding that a two-state solution in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions is the only viable option to resolve the Middle East crisis.  

“Pakistan shall continue to support the establishment of a sovereign, independent, and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, the statement quoted Dar as saying. 

Trump’s controversial statement came weeks after Hamas and Israel agreed to a six-week initial ceasefire phase, which ended 15 months of war. 

The truce included the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from central Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.