Pakistan, Arab-Islamic nations demand Israeli withdrawal, rebuilding of Gaza at Istanbul moot

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar meets Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul, Turkiye, on November 3, 2025. (@ForeignOfficePk/X)
Short Url
Updated 03 November 2025
Follow

Pakistan, Arab-Islamic nations demand Israeli withdrawal, rebuilding of Gaza at Istanbul moot

  • Ministers from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE met in Istanbul to discuss Trump's Gaza peace plan
  • Islamabad reaffirms its stance for the establishment of an independent, viable and contiguous state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and other Muslim nations on Monday condemned Israeli ceasefire violations in Gaza, called for the withdrawal of Israeli military and delivery of urgent humanitarian aid in Palestinian territories.

The call came after a meeting of foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Istanbul to discuss President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. Leaders of these nations met Trump on Sept. 23.

The meeting took place amid renewed tensions in Gaza, with Palestinian authorities saying Israeli forces have killed 236 people in strikes on Gaza since the truce, which came into effect on Oct. 10. Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed and it has targeted scores of Hamas fighters.

During Monday's talks in Istanbul, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his counterparts from Arab-Islamic nations deliberated on the way forward for a lasting ceasefire and sustainable peace in Gaza, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.

"The leaders jointly called for urgent humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, condemned Israeli ceasefire violations, demanded Israel’s withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory and emphasized the rebuilding of Gaza," the Pakistani ministry said.

"Pakistan reaffirmed its principled stance for the establishment of an independent, viable and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in line with the UN and OIC resolutions."

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel must stop its regular violations of the US-backed ceasefire in Gaza and fulfil its duty to allow access to humanitarian aid.

Turkey wants to see a post-war framework for Gaza in which "Palestinians ensure Palestine's governance and security," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Countries are still working on a planned United Nations (UN) mandate for a stabilization force in Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal and they will decide whether to send soldiers based on this, Fidan added.

The US-backed ceasefire agreement halted two years of war in which Israel killed over 67,000 Palestinians, a lot of them women and children, since Oct. 2023. Israel’s military operations in the narrow coastal strip have devastated it almost entirely, frequently targeting schools, hospitals and other civilian spaces.

 


IAEA approves safeguards for Pakistan’s Chashma nuclear power plant unit — FO

Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

IAEA approves safeguards for Pakistan’s Chashma nuclear power plant unit — FO

  • Move reflects world’s confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to peaceful use of nuclear energy, non-proliferation, says FO
  • Says after completion, power plant’s unit will provide substantial source of low-carbon electricity to the national grid

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Wednesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board of governors has approved a safeguards agreement with Islamabad for a unit of its Chashma nuclear power plant, reflecting the world’s growing confidence in the South Asian country’s commitment to peaceful use of nuclear energy. 

Under a safeguards agreement, the IAEA has the right and obligation to ensure that safeguards are applied on all nuclear material in the territory, jurisdiction or control of a state to verify that such material is not diverted to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

The agreement pertains to Unit 5 of the Chashma nuclear power plant located in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province. The plant will have a gross capacity to generate 1,200 megawatts, with its pressurized water reactor expected to become operational by 2030, the foreign office said. 

“This important development reflects the international community’s continued confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and its adherence to global non-proliferation and safeguards obligations,” the statement said. 

It said after completion, the plant’s Unit 5 will provide a substantial source of low-carbon electricity to Pakistan’s national grid, contributing to energy security, climate goals and sustainable economic growth.

Over the past year, nuclear power accounted for 18.3 percent of Pakistan’s national electricity mix and 34 percent of the country’s total low-carbon electricity generation. 

Pakistan currently operates six nuclear power plants with a combined installed capacity of 3,530 megawatts, the foreign office said. 

“With more than 100 reactor-years of operational experience, Pakistan maintains a strong record of safe, secure and fully safeguarded nuclear power operations in line with international standards,” the statement included. 

Despite contributing less than one percent to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, Pakistan is ranked among the world’s most vulnerable nations to climate change effects. 

Torrential rains and floods in 2022 and 2025 wreaked havoc across the country, killing thousands and inflicting damages of billions of dollars on the country.