Dar and Saudi FM express ‘deep commitment and support’ for Palestinians, Lebanese in phone call

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday held a telephone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in which they expressed their “deep commitment and support for the people of Palestine and Lebanon”.

A post on X by the Foreign Office said the two diplomats discussed the situation in the two conflict-ridden countries subject to an Israeli military offensive.

The Saudi Press Agency said both also reviewed relations between the two countries and discussed regional and international developments

Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians since it began a year ago and has laid waste to the enclave.

The offensive began after a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, on southern Israeli communities in which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Meanwhile, Israel’s latest fight with Hezbollah started when the group fired missiles at Israeli positions immediately after the Oct 7 attack. Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire ever since.

As months of indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas went nowhere, Israel in September began ramping up its bombardment of Hezbollah and landed painful blows on the group, including remotely detonating Hezbollah pagers and radios, wounding thousands of the group’s members.

After Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s death, US President Joe Biden called again for a ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon border.

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched its ground invasion anyway.

Its expanded operation has displaced more than 1.2 million people, according to Lebanon’s government, which says more than 2,100 people have been killed and 10,000 wounded in over a year of fighting. The toll includes scores of women and children.

7th Pakistan-KSA Bilateral Defence Industrial Forum held at Riyadh

Separately, a statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued today said the seventh meeting of the Pakistan-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Bilateral Defence Industrial Forum was held in Riyadh on Thursday.

Pakistan’s tri-services delegation was led by Chief of General Staff (CGS), Lieutenant General Muhammad Avais Dastgir, whereas, Assistant Defence Minister Talal Bin Abdullah Al Otaibi led the Saudi Arabian side.

During the meeting, the CGS affirmed Pakistan’s continuing support towards the capacity building of the Royal Saudi Defence Forces.

The Saudi dignitary acknowledged Pakistan’s achievements and sacrifices in the war against terrorism and its valuable contributions towards regional peace and stability.

The forum’s participants discussed challenges to global and regional security and their implications for the Defence Forces.

They noted that rapid advancements in modern technologies necessitated further enhancing defence industrial cooperation in critical capabilities between the two allied countries.

In this context, the ISPR said that the progress of ongoing areas of collaboration was reviewed while new areas of collaboration were also agreed upon.