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ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan on Friday “unequivocally” condemned airstrikes by Israeli forces on Beirut’s suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon on the eve of the Eid Al-Adha religious holiday, the foreign office said. 

Israeli air strikes pummelled the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital late on Thursday, sending thousands of people fleeing on the eve of the Muslim feast day and prompting accusations by top Lebanese officials that Israel was violating a ceasefire deal.

At least 10 strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs — a sprawling area known as Dahiyeh — in a wave of bombing that began about 90 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for four sites in the area.

It was the fourth time that Dahiyeh has been bombed since a US-brokered truce in November ended a year-long war between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.

“These attacks, launched on the eve of Eid Al-Adha, constitute a blatant violation of international law, sovereignty of Lebanon, and the ceasefire agreement of November 2024,” the Pakistani foreign office said. 

“The reckless use of force threatens civilian lives, fuels regional instability, and undermines efforts for lasting peace.” 

Pakistan urged the international community, particularly the United Nations and ceasefire mediators, to take “immediate action to hold Israeli occupying forces accountable and prevent further escalation.”

The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire says Hezbollah must pull all military equipment and fighters out of southern Lebanon and says all non-state militant groups must be disarmed across the country.

The Israeli military said on Thursday it was planning to strike “underground UAV production infrastructure sites that were deliberately established in the heart of the civilian population” in Dahiyeh.

It said Hezbollah was producing thousands of drones there, “with the direction and funding of Iranian terrorists.”

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which in the past has denied placing military infrastructure in civilian areas.

Israeli strikes also hit the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana, according to Lebanese state media, shortly after evacuation warnings were issued for the area.

The attacks occurred as the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha was due to begin on Thursday. The strikes “generated renewed panic and fear on the eve of Eid Al-Adha,” the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon said on X.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam both condemned the attacks as a “blatant violation” of international agreements.

With inputs from Reuters

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a two-day visit to ������Ƶ this week where he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today, Friday, and discuss trade and investment as well as regional security matters. 

The Pakistani prime minister will celebrate Eid Al-Adha in the Kingdom and hold a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince that is expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and regional security.

Sharif reached Jeddah on Thursday evening and departed for Makkah to perform Umrah, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

“The two leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade and investment, welfare of the Muslim Ummah, and regional peace and security,” PMO said about Sharif’s meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince later today, Friday. 

Sharif is also expected to express gratitude to the Saudi leadership for their role in de-escalating recent tensions between Pakistan and India. 

Last month, following the worst military confrontation between India and Pakistan in decades, ������Ƶ, along with other Gulf nations, played a key role in mediating between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, helping to avert a potential war. 

The visit also comes amid deepening economic ties between Pakistan and ������Ƶ. In recent months, the two countries have signed multiple agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment. Notably, ������Ƶ has committed to a $5 billion investment package to support Pakistan’s economy, which has been grappling with a balance of payments crisis.

Last year, Saudi and Pakistani businessmen signed 34 memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion, covering sectors such as industry, technology, and agriculture. Additionally, ������Ƶ’s Manara Minerals is in talks to acquire a 10-20 percent stake in Pakistan’s $9 billion Reko Diq copper and gold mining project, one of the largest of its kind globally.

Defense cooperation is also a key component of the bilateral relationship. The two nations have a history of military collaboration, with ������Ƶ providing support to Pakistan during times of regional tension and Pakistan training Saudi forces. 

Pakistan has a 2.7 million-strong diaspora in ������Ƶ, which accounts for the highest remittance inflow, a crucial lifeline for the country’s economy.