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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military official, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, held talks with Qatari leaders on Thursday as part of the second round of the Higher Military Cooperation Committee (HMCC), a bilateral platform for defense and security dialogue, the military said.

Mirza, who serves as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), met Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Qatar’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jassim Mohammad Ahmed Al-Mannal during his official visit to Doha.

“Both sides discussed the evolving regional security dynamics and reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability at regional and global level,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

It added that Mirza “highlighted historic brotherly ties between both nations and discussed the future dimensions of cooperation in defense and security domains within the ambit of HMCC.”

Qatar’s civil and military leadership, according to ISPR, “acknowledged Pakistan’s pivotal and responsible role in ensuring regional stability and appreciated professionalism and sacrifices of Pakistan Armed Forces in fight against terrorism.”

Pakistan and Qatar share close defense ties, including military training, joint exercises and strategic cooperation. 

The visit follows regular high-level exchanges, including the 2023 meeting between Qatar’s then armed forces chief Lt. Gen. Salem Hamad Eqail Al-Nabet and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir to discuss regional security.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf described support for Palestine as a “moral obligation” as he met a senior Palestinian delegation in Islamabad on Thursday, pledging continued backing at a time when the war in Gaza has intensified.

The four-member delegation, led by Dr. Mahmoud Sidqi Abdul Rahman Al-Habbash, the Supreme Judge of Palestine, also included the imams of Al-Aqsa and Ibrahimi Mosques.

Their visit comes as Israeli strikes on Gaza have drawn widespread condemnation across the Muslim world, with Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, reaffirming its stance of unconditional support for the Palestinian cause.

“Support for the Palestinian nation is a human and moral obligation that transcends religion, race, creed and culture,” the Pakistani minister said.

He condemned the “ongoing massacre in Gaza” and vowed that “Pakistan will continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to Palestine under all circumstances.”

In recent weeks, Gaza has faced a worsening humanitarian emergency. Israel’s blockade, imposed since early March, has severely restricted access to food, water and medical supplies. Aid agencies and the United Nations have warned of mass starvation and rising child malnutrition in the enclave, home to around two million people. Only a few humanitarian trucks have been allowed in.

Pakistan has also raised the issue at the United Nations Security Council, saying Israel is using the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war.

Yousaf said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed that relief goods be sent to Gaza, while the Palestinian delegation expressed sorrow over the loss of life and property in Pakistan’s recent floods.

Al-Habbash thanked Islamabad for raising its voice against Israel’s military campaign, adding that “several countries will recognize Palestine as a free and sovereign state in the month of September.”

“The time is near when the leaders of the Islamic world will gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque to offer prayers of thanksgiving,” he added.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is Islam’s third holiest site after Makkah and Madinah, revered as the place where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ascended to heaven during the Night Journey.

It also stands at the heart of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, making it both a spiritual and political symbol for Muslims worldwide.

The meeting also agreed to promote dialogue and exchanges between religious scholars, according to the statement.