Your Excellency, Sering Modou Njie, Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Gambia, Chair of the Islamic Summit; Your Excellency, Dr. Varsen Aghabekian, Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine; Your Excellency, Musa Kulaklikaya, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye; Your Excellency Samir Baker, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC); Your Highnesses, Excellencies, Brothers and Sisters, Assalam-o-Alaikum,

1. I would like to begin by extending my sincerest Ramadan greetings to all of you and your families. May this blessed month be a harbinger of peace, prosperity, and justice for the Ummah and the entire world.
2.  I wish to express my profound appreciation to the Republic of the Gambia, as Chair of the Islamic Summit; the Republic of Türkiye, as Chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and the State of Palestine for convening this extraordinary session in a timely manner. This meeting is being held to address the illegal measures by the Israeli occupation aimed at accelerating settlement expansion, annexation, and the imposition of sovereignty over the Occupied West Bank. Pakistan fully supports this important effort.
3. I would also like to thank the sagacious leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their continued support to the OIC in addressing the challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah.
4. Our sincere gratitude also to the Secretary-General of the OIC, and his team, for the meticulous preparations for this extraordinary session.

Excellencies, Brothers and Sisters,

5. We are meeting at a time of exceptional gravity for the OIC and for the Palestinian cause, which remains the central concern of the Ummah and a defining responsibility of this Organization. The developments unfolding before us carry profound implications not only for the Palestinian people, but also for the credibility of international law including UN Charter and the integrity of the multilateral system.
6. While intensified diplomatic efforts are underway to consolidate the ceasefire and advance implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict as envisaged in the UN Security Council resolution 2803, Israel’s ceasefire violations, expansion of illegal settlements, and annexation attempts continue to undermine these efforts and jeopardize prospects for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Excellencies,

7. Let me recall that on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2025, leaders and the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Eight Arab Islamic countries, including Pakistan, engaged with the President of the United States to end the bloodshed in Gaza, ensure unimpeded humanitarian access, secure a permanent and sustainable ceasefire, and advance a comprehensive peace process for the Palestinian brothers and sisters.
8. During these consultations, we, the Group of Eight, ensured that the non-annexation of the Occupied West Bank remained firmly on the agenda, and assurances were given to us that annexation of West Bank would not take place.
9. On ground, however, Israel continues, with brazen impunity, to expand illegal settlements and enforce de facto annexation in the Occupied West Bank. These actions flagrantly violate international law including UN Charter, UN Security Council Resolution 2803, undermine all diplomatic efforts, and threaten the very foundations of a just and lasting peace. These violations embolden further aggression, erode regional stability, and trample on the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. The international community must decisively act, and act now, to halt these violations, uphold international law, and ensure delivery of the assurances made in good faith, to the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic Countries, including Pakistan.
10. Recent joint statements by 8 Arab-Islamic countries have clearly highlighted our shared concern over Israel’s continued violations of the ceasefire and its attempts to impose unlawful sovereignty, expand settlements, and enforce a new legal and administrative reality in the Occupied West Bank.
11. Pakistan strongly condemns the latest illegal measures taken by Israel to convert areas of the Occupied West Bank into so-called “state property”. These unlawful actions reflect an annexationist and expansionist mindset, bereft of any regard for international law or humanitarian norms.
12. Pakistan remains fully engaged, as part of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic countries, to secure a permanent and sustainable ceasefire, immediate start of reconstruction, and a credible, time-bound political pathway towards an independent Palestinian state.

Excellencies,

13. As an elected member of the UN Security Council, Pakistan remains at the forefront in advancing the Palestinian cause and will continue to do so at all UN bodies, OIC and other multilateral platforms.
14. In view of the serious gravity of the situation, we need to collectively ensure:

• First, an immediate reversal of all Israeli measures aimed at de facto annexation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory including West Bank, which constitutes a red line for any just resolution of the issue of Palestine;
• Second, full respect for and protection of the historic and legal status quo at all holy sites, including Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque;
• Third, an immediate end to all forms of displacement, demographic manipulation, and collective punishment of the Palestinian brothers and sisters throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
• Fourth, full and faithful implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2803, including strict adherence to the ceasefire in Gaza;
• Fifth, immediate commencement of reconstruction and recovery of Gaza, with full Palestinian ownership and a central role of the Palestinian Authority;
• Sixth, accountability for war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law; and
• Finally, a credible, irreversible, and time-bound political horizon leading to the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with relevant UN and OIC resolutions.

15. It is in pursuit of these objectives that Pakistan, as part of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic countries, has joined the Board of Peace (BoP) as endorsed by UNSC resolution 2803. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif, participated in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace held in Washington DC on 19^th February and reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm commitment and principled position on the Palestinian issue. Ahead of the inaugural meeting of the BoP, I also participated on 18^th February in the high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on the Middle East including Palestine and placed on record the detailed elaboration of Pakistan’s principled position on Palestine.

Excellencies,

16. Pakistan reiterates its strong condemnation of the inflammatory remarks recently made by the United States Ambassador to Israel suggesting that it would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to the Arab states, including the Occupied West Bank. Pakistan’s position has also been expressed jointly with 14 Arab-Islamic countries, the OIC, the League of Arab States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Such statements, like the US Ambassador in Israel, are irresponsible, deeply concerning and condemnable. These are also inconsistent with international law and the UN Charter, undermine the sovereignty of Arab states, and seriously risk further emboldening of similar illegal actions by Israel.
17. At a time when initiatives like the Board of Peace and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict seek to restore hope and chart a credible political horizon; remarks of this nature directly contradict those objectives and weaken collective diplomatic efforts. Pakistan stands firmly with its brotherly Arab nations in defending their territorial integrity and will continue to strongly oppose any attempt to legitimize occupation or alter internationally recognized borders by force.

Excellencies,

18. The parallels between the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are stark and undeniable. Indian occupation forces continue to unleash terror in the Indian illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, with systematic human rights violations and demographic manipulation designed to make Kashmiri brothers and sisters a minority in their own land.
19. We appreciate the strong, unwavering support that the OIC has always afforded to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, we urge the OIC to step up efforts for a just resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

Excellencies, brothers and sisters,

20. Pakistan stands ready to contribute to all diplomatic initiatives, including the Comprehensive Gaza Peace Plan, the Board of Peace, the High-Level Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, and the Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution, in pursuit of a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
21. Pakistan’s support for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital is unwavering and permanent,
    In Sha Allah.

Excellencies, Brothers and Sisters,

22. This is a defining moment for the Muslim Ummah. The Palestinian people need concrete measures to end their suffering and to secure liberation from Israeli occupation. Pakistan, along with its brotherly OIC countries, stands ready to rise to this challenge with unity, resolve, and purpose.

In Sha Allah.

I thank you all.

Islamabad

February 27, 2026