RIYADH: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in the 2nd Joint Arab Islamic Summit, being held in Riyadh on Monday.

According to Radio Pakistan, at her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated that the Summit is being convened at the initiative of the government of Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation in the Middle East. The Summit will follow the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held on November 11th last year in Riyadh, which addressed the situation in Gaza and other occupied territories.

The Summit is expected to see participation from Heads of State, governments, and senior officials from Arab League and the OIC member countries. During the Summit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will reiterate Pakistan’s full support for the Palestinian cause, calling for an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza and urging an urgent and unconditional ceasefire. He will also demand the cessation of ongoing
Israeli adventurism in the region, which threatens the security of Middle Eastern countries.

Pakistan will advocate for providing international protection for the Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent state of Palestine based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. On the sidelines of the Summit, the Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from other Arab League and OIC member states.

Following the Summit in Riyadh, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will proceed to Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, part of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference, scheduled for November 12-13. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with cabinet members and senior officials, will accompany the Prime Minister.

At the Climate Action Summit, the Prime Minister will make a strong appeal for climate solidarity and climate justice, emphasizing the established principles of equity
and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. On the sidelines of the visit, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with participating world leaders.