New York – Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel’s unprovoked military strikes against the State of Qatar during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in the Middle East.
Speaking at the Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, termed the Israeli attacks a “flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “a grave breach of international law and the UN Charter.”
Ambassador Iftikhar welcomed the presence of Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the Council session, as well as the participation of regional states including Jordan, UAE, Turkiye, Iraq, Kuwait, and Egypt.
“Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the illegal and reckless Israeli aggression against the brotherly State of Qatar,” Ambassador Iftikhar stated. “These strikes targeted a residential neighborhood, deliberately endangering civilians, and constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
He emphasized that the attacks were not isolated but part of a “consistent pattern of Israeli aggression” across the region, including in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with Qatar, Ambassador Iftikhar said Islamabad fully supports Doha’s right to defend its sovereignty and security. He also recalled that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, was in Doha the same day to express solidarity.
The Ambassador highlighted Qatar’s vital role as a mediator in Gaza peace negotiations, stressing that striking the territory of a key mediator was a deliberate attempt to “sabotage diplomacy and prolong civilian suffering.” He warned that undermining Qatar was “not only an attack on a sovereign state, but also an attack on diplomacy itself.”
Ambassador Iftikhar welcomed the Security Council’s condemnation of the strikes and expression of support for Qatar’s sovereignty but urged the Council to “go further” by holding Israel accountable and protecting mediators engaged in peace efforts.
He also underlined that the root cause of instability in the Middle East was Israel’s prolonged occupation of Arab lands, calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, full humanitarian access, and the creation of a sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Right of Reply to Israeli Remarks
In response to remarks made by the Israeli delegate during the same meeting, Ambassador Iftikhar exercised Pakistan’s right of reply.
He described Israel as “an aggressor, an occupier, and a serial violator of the UN Charter,” adding that it was “ludicrous” for Israel to abuse the chamber in an attempt to mask its own illegal actions.
“Israel listens to no one – not even its friends,” he said. “It threatens the international community, the UN, the ICJ, the ICC, humanitarian organizations, and the media, all with impunity, shielded by its apologists. Like all occupiers, it plays the victim while being the aggressor. But today, it stands fully exposed.”
Rejecting Israeli attempts to draw false analogies with Pakistan, Ambassador Iftikhar recalled that Pakistan’s role in the global fight against terrorism was well recognized, with Al-Qaeda largely dismantled due to Pakistan’s efforts. “We will not accept insinuations from a rogue state that itself perpetrates the worst kind of state terrorism in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories,” he stressed.
Reading from the Council’s own press statement adopted earlier in the day, he noted that members had “condemned the strikes in Doha, expressed regret at the loss of civilian life, reaffirmed solidarity with Qatar, and underscored the vital role of Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. in mediation efforts.” He concluded.
