PM in Doha as Arab-Islamic summit begins to mull response on Israel’s attack in Qatar
DOHA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached Doha on Monday as an Arab-Islamic summit kicked off to consider a draft resolution on a recent Israeli attack on Qatar.
Leaders from around 50 states are attending the high-level moot, which is being held under the umbrella of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Qatar’s emir said that Israel had sought to derail Gaza talks by striking Hamas negotiators in his country last week, and that its premier dreamt of an Arab world under Israeli influence.
“Whoever works diligently and systematically to assassinate the party with whom he is negotiating, intends to thwart the negotiations … Negotiations, for them, are merely part of the war,” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told Arab and Muslim leaders.
He also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “dreams of turning the Arab region into an Israeli sphere of influence, and this is a dangerous illusion”.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that Israel’s current actions hindered any chances of new peace treaties in the Middle East.
In remarks aimed at Israel, he told the Arab-Islamic summit in Doha: “What is happening right now hinders the future of peace, threatens your security and the security of the peoples in the region and adds obstacles to chances for any new peace agreements and even aborts existing ones.”
PM Shehbaz is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.
He was received by Qatar’s minister for culture, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is already in Doha and actively participated in a meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday to craft the draft resolution that will be discussed during Monday’s summit, which has been co-sponsored by Pakistan.
PM Shehbaz has also undertook a one-day visit to Doha on September 11, when he met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to denounce the Israeli attack and show solidarity with the Gulf state.
Monday’s summit has been convened to rally support for Qatar following the Israeli attack targeting Hamas leaders in the Gulf state on September 9. Five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer were killed in the attack. The attack — widely condemned by major world powers — was carried out while negotiations were underway for a ceasefire in Gaza, in which Qatar has been playing an instrumental role.
Apart from PM Shehbaz, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani are also attending Monday’s moot in Qatar. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also participating.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas also arrived in Doha on Sunday, on the eve of the summit. Monitoring Desk
