- Acting FM shares Iran’s deep anguish on assassination of Ismail Haniyeh during telephonic talks with Deputy PM
- Dar confirms Pakistan would actively participate in this important meeting
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that Pakistan fully supported Iran’s call for an “extraordinary meeting” of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in a strike in Tehran, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a press release.
The development comes as Acting Foreign Minister of Iran Ali Bagheri Kani telephoned Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday and shared the Iranian nation’s and leadership’s deep anguish on the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.
“The Deputy Prime Minister conveyed that the people of Pakistan shared these sentiments. He shared that the Prime Minister of Pakistan had condemned the developments in Gaza and the atrocious assassination of Ismail Haniyeh Shaheed in the strongest possible terms,” Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release.
Acting Foreign Minister of Iran Ali Bagheri Kani called the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 today and shared the Iranian nation’s and leadership’s deep anguish on the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on the occasion of the… pic.twitter.com/N5SYjtjoEU
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 3, 2024
Moreover, the National Assembly of Pakistan had unanimously condemned the heinous act which was against international law, established diplomatic norms and acceptable behavior amongst the comity of nations, the DPM Dar added.
According to the foreign ministry, the deputy prime minister conveyed similar sentiments and Pakistan’s condemnation of the developments in Gaza and the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh “in the strongest possible terms”.
The Iranian counterpart also requested Dar to participate in the extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) being convened at the foreign ministers level.
“The Deputy Prime Minister fully supported the call for an Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers and confirmed that Pakistan would actively participate in the important meeting,” it was further added.
Earlier, the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had earlier threatened a “harsh punishment” for Haniyeh’s killing, led prayers for the Palestinian leader’s burial in Qatar on Thursday.
Haniyeh had been visiting Tehran for Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony when he was killed.
Thousands of mourning crowds carrying posters of Haniyeh and Palestinian flags gathered for the ceremony at Tehran University before a procession.
Haniyeh’s death was announced by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who said he and his bodyguard were killed in a strike on their accommodation in the Iranian capital at 2am on Wednesday.
It came just hours after Israel targeted and killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in a retaliatory strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut, sending fears of a wider regional conflict soaring in the fallout from the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Israel has declined to comment on the Tehran strike.
Iran’s conservative parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran “will certainly carry out the supreme leader’s order [to avenge Haniyeh]”. “It is our duty to respond at the right time and in the right place,” he said in a speech with crowds chanting “Death to Israel, Death to America!”
