Dar consults top Muslim nations for unified stance

UNITED NATIONS: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday rejected the use of force in international affairs as he stressed the need for consensus and cooperation to resolve disputes, at a time when military means are again in vague, threatening the existence of smaller nations.

He also held consultations with the representatives of influential Middle East countries to develop a unified approach to address different issues.

Read more: Dar blasts Greater Israel plan, calls for two-state solution

The Commonwealth should continue working for peace, said Dar, who is also Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, and discussed a range of issues that the world is currently facing.

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Addressing a Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting on the sidelines of UN General Assembly, he said Pakistan believed in gender equality and added that youth could play their role for a prosperous and peaceful future.

PAKISTAN IN MIDDLE EAST

Separately, Dar also attended a consultative session organised by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, where the participants “exchanged views and deliberated the coordinated positions for unified approach on some of the key current global issues at the UN General Assembly”.

The deputy prime ministers of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates as well as the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye were the other participants.

Read more: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia sign mutual defence agreement

Later in the day, the White House said US President Donald Trump will meet leaders of key Muslim countries while attending the UN General Assembly, amid heavy focus at the forum on Israel’s war in Gaza.

Trump will hold a “multilateral meeting” with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkiye, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.

Meanwhile, the countries which the White House press secretary listed are the same that held a consultative session.

Earlier in the day, the deputy prime minister “reached New York to attend the high-level segment of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly from 22-26 September 2025”.

Besides accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to his many engagements, he will represent Pakistan in numerous ministerial and high-level meetings as well as attending over a dozen bilateral meetings with his counterparts.

It’s a developing story. Details to follow.