Pakistan PM Sharif in Azerbaijan for ECO summit focused on climate, trade

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday backed an “inclusive” political process to stabilize a Syria rocked by clashes and demanded an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, as he spoke at a United Nations Security Council debate on the evolving Middle East situation. 

Syria has been rocked by violent clashes between the Druze minority and Bedouin clans that broke out on July 13, killing over 250 people as per media reports and threatening to disrupt the country’s post-war transition. The violence also displaced 128,571 people, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration.

Israel carried out a series of attacks on government targets in Syria in support of the Druze clan last week, including a strike on a tank convoy and the shelling of the Defense Ministry in Damascus. Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ordered a fragile ceasefire between Bedouin and Druze groups last Saturday. 

Dar, who is in New York to participate in events being held under Pakistan’s presidency of the UN Security Council, spoke at an open debate titled, “The Situation in the Middle East and the Question of Palestine.”

“Pakistan supports the stabilization of Syria through an inclusive political process,” the deputy prime minister, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, said. “Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity must be upheld.”

He called on Israel to immediately withdraw from the separation zone established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and vacate the Syrian Golan Heights as per the UN Security Council’s resolutions.

‘GRAVEYARD FOR INNOCENT LIVES’

The Pakistani deputy prime minister criticized Israel for its military operations in Gaza, saying that the world was witnessing the “collapse of humanity” through Tel Aviv’s actions.

“Gaza has become a graveyard for innocent lives as well as for international law, particularly international humanitarian law,” he said, noting that over 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war since October 2023. 

He urged the UN Security Council to pursue with unity and urgency an “immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire” in Gaza. 

Dar also called for unfettered, sustained and secure access to humanitarian relief items for all civilians and the protection of aid workers, medical teams and UN personnel there. 

“Immediate steps should be taken to ensure the delivery of life-saving food and medical assistance, restore humanitarian supply lines, and prevent famine conditions from taking hold,” he said. 

Pakistan has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state in the Middle East with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital based on the pre-1967 border. 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s General Sahir Shamshad Mirza met senior defense officials of Turkiye and Azerbaijan on Wednesday to discuss strengthening existing security and defense ties between the countries, Pakistan Army’s media wing said. 

Islamabad has grown closer to Ankara and Baku after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev openly pledged support for Pakistan during its latest military confrontation with India in May.

Mirza, who is the chairman of joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC) of the Pakistan Army, was attending the 17th International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul, renowned for showcasing cutting-edge innovations and advancements in the defense sector. 

The Pakistani general held separate meetings with General (retired) Yasar Guler, Turkiye’s minister of national defense, Col. General Hasanov Zakir Asgar Oglu, Azerbaijan’s minister of defense, Gurbanov Agil Salim Oglu, Azerbaijan’s deputy minister of defense and General Metin Gurak, the chief of Turkish general staff. 

“Discussions were held on variety of issues of bilateral military cooperation with emphasis on importance of expanding cooperation in the fields of defense and security,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.

“The dignitaries reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening strategic partnerships and enhancing defense corporation in line with dictates of future geo-strategic environment and technological advancements.”

The Turkish and Azeri officials reaffirmed their commitment to deepen strategic partnerships and enhance defense cooperation, keeping in mind the future geo-strategic environment and technological advancements, the ISPR added. 

Earlier this month, Turkiye’s defense and foreign ministers arrived in Pakistan for a series of high-level meetings that reportedly focused on counterterrorism, defense cooperation and broader strategic ties.

Pakistan and Turkiye have maintained close defense ties in recent years. 

Under a 2018 agreement, Türkiye is delivering four MILGEM-class corvettes to the Pakistan Navy, with two built in Istanbul and two at Karachi Shipyard under a technology transfer arrangement.

The first vessel, PNS Babur, was delivered in 2023.