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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday presented a seven-point plan before the OIC to end Israel’s war in Gaza and achieve lasting peace in Palestine, urging Muslim countries to take “concrete measures” rather than issue statements of sympathy.

Dar was speaking at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, being held from Aug. 25-26, against the backdrop of Israel intensifying its military operations in Gaza. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet approved a plan for the territory’s full military occupation, a move that has drawn international condemnation and warnings it would worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

Addressing the gathering, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar accused Israel of “systematic, premeditated and deliberate” violations of international law, highlighting that over 60,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, had been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, when Israel launched its onslaught. He described attacks on hospitals, schools, UN facilities, aid convoys and refugee camps as “wanton acts of collective punishment in full world view.”

Dar said the Palestinian question was a “litmus test” for the credibility of the global “rules-based order” and laid out seven steps that Pakistan to end the violence and achieve peace.

“First, an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire across Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735,” Dar said. 

“Second, unfettered, sustained and secure humanitarian access to all civilians in need, and the protection of aid workers, medical teams and the UN personnel. Pakistan has continued a steady dispatch of humanitarian goods for our brothers and sisters in Gaza.”

Pakistan’s third step called for “renewed and reinforced international support to UNRWA, which remains indispensable to the survival of millions of Palestinians.” The fourth step was an end to forced displacement, settlement expansion and annexation of Palestinian land, particularly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

Dar warned that “Israel’s declared intent to occupy Gaza city would be a deliberate attempt to obliterate Palestinian existence and heritage. It must be firmly opposed.”

Dar added that the plan also called for the implementation of an Arab and OIC-led reconstruction program for Gaza, the revival of a time-bound political process for a two-state solution and accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He warned against “the brazen audacity of the so-called Israeli cabinet in unveiling its ominous plan to extend Israel’s full military control over Gaza as well as the Israeli prime minister’s recent allusion to the creation of a ‘Greater Israel,’” saying it revealed Israel’s “annexationist and rogue mindset.”

“We joined the statement issued by the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, along with other countries, in expressing strong condemnation and categorical rejection of the Israeli announcement, denouncing it as an unacceptable escalation and a brazen attempt to entrench illegal occupation by coercion,” the Pakistani deputy PM said.

Calling the crisis “a defining moment for the Muslim Ummah,” he added: 

“History will not judge us by our words but by our actions. The Palestinian people do not seek statements of sympathy; they need concrete measures to end their suffering and secure their liberation from Israeli occupation. The OIC must rise to this challenge with unity, resolve, and purpose.”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday accused India of violating the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by sending a flood warning through diplomatic channels instead of the treaty’s official mechanism, saying the move was a “serious violation of international law.”

The statement came a day after the Indian High Commission in Islamabad warned of high flood levels in the River Tawi in Indian-administered Kashmir, despite New Delhi announcing in April that it had suspended the decades-old treaty. 

“On 24 August 2025, India communicated flood warnings through diplomatic channels, rather than through the Indus Waters Commission as required under the Indus Waters Treaty,” the Foreign Office said, adding that India’s declaration to hold the treaty in abeyance could have “significant negative consequences for peace and stability in South Asia.”

The River Tawi, which joins Pakistan’s Chenab River, runs through the border districts of Gujrat and Sialkot. 

Following the Indian alert, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Punjab issued a flood warning, directing district administrations to activate monitoring and early warning systems.

A letter from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on Sunday, seen by Arab News, stated: “River and site Name: Tawi, Jammu. Date/Time: 24th August 2025, 10.00 Hrs, flood data: high flood.”

India suspended the IWT in April after blaming Pakistan for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Pakistan denied involvement and demanded an international probe.

Under the treaty, signed in 1960, Pakistan has rights to the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — but can use the western rivers for limited purposes provided it does not significantly alter their flow.

Pakistan had reacted strongly to India’s suspension of the IWT, warning that any attempt to stop or divert its guaranteed share of waters would be considered “an act of war.”

The latest exchange comes as Pakistan reels from deadly monsoon rains, with nearly 800 people killed since June 26 due to heavy showers and subsequent flash floods and landslides.