Pakistan would attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Gaza convened by Saudi Arabia, the prime minister’s special representative on religious harmony said on Tuesday.

“Point-scoring should not be made on such matters,” Special Representative to the PM on Religious Harmony and Pakistan diaspora in Middle East and Islamic Countries Tahir Ashrafi told reporters in Islamabad.

The extraordinary summit to discuss the escalating military situation in the occupied territory would take place on November 12 as leaders of the Islamic countries are expected to attend.

The summit to be held in Riyadh would discuss the “brutal aggression against the Palestinian people,” said an official announcement from the headquarters of the 57-member bloc in Jeddah on November 6. The Iranian president has already confirmed his participation.

The Islamic countries’ leaders would gather after over a month since Israeli forces started attacking Gaza after the unprecedented operation by Hamas on October 7. More than 10,000 Palestinians have so far been killed in the Israeli military offensive with almost half of them being children.

Ashrafi addressed the meedia after a meeting with Kakar in the federal capital.

Kakar and Ashrafi “strongly condemned” Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. He called upon the international community to play an “urgent role” in stopping Israel’s aggression against Palestinians.

They welcomed the upcoming meeting of the OIC to be held in Jeddah on the deteriorating situation of Palestine.

While speaking about the measures taken to boost the economy, he said that “important” development took place after the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the G7 to speak “in a clear voice” about the Israel-Hamas war as he kicked off talks with fellow foreign ministers from the grouping in Japan.

Pakistan sends relief assistance for Gaza

A special flight carrying the second consignment of relief goods from Pakistan for the people of occupied Gaza was seen off by caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and interim Human Rights Minister Khalil George on Tuesday, the Foreign Office said.

The second consignment consisted of 89.6 tons including 40-ton food packs from the Government of Pakistan and 3-ton food bags, 10.8-ton medicines, and 26-ton hygiene & baby kits by NGOs in Pakistan.

The relief items would be sent to Al Arish, Egypt from Islamabad via a special chartered plane. The consignment would be handed over to the Red Crescent Society in Egypt for onward delivery in Gaza.

On October 19, NDMA sent a relief consignment comprising 1,000 Special Winterized Tents, 4,000 Blankets, and over 3 Tons of medicines for distressed people of Gaza.

Palestinian Ambassador in Islamabad Ahmad Jawad Rabei and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NDMA were also present during the sendoff ceremony at Islamabad International Airport.

The interim foreign minister expressed Pakistan’s solidarity with the Palestinian brothers and sisters and condemned Israel’s brutal and indiscriminate use of force against civilians, including women and children, currently besieged in Gaza.

Jilani underlined the urgency of bringing an immediate end to Israeli aggression and lifting of the siege of Gaza. He called for upholding the principles of justice and facilitation of the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.