By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan top diplomat on Sunday rejected the Israeli move to recognize Somaliland and vowed full support for Somalia.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, led the Pakistan delegation at the Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, convened in Jeddah to address the grave consequences arising from Israel’s recognition of the so-called Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

In his address, he strongly condemned the illegal and unlawful recognition by Israel of the Somaliland region, as well as the subsequent unwarranted and highly provocative visit of its official to Somaliland.

He termed these actions an act of political aggression and a direct assault on Somalia’s internationally recognised borders, setting a perilous precedent and threatening peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region, and beyond.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Senator Dar also categorically rejected any proposal for the dislocation of the Palestinian people and reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled commitment to an independent, contiguous, and sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Appreciating the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) consistent support for the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the deputy prime minister urged the body to step up efforts toward the realisation of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.

On the sidelines of the extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Jeddah on January 10, 2026, Senator Dar met with his counterparts from several OIC member states as well as OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha. During the meeting, he reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and reaffirmed Islamabad’s unwavering support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

He also restated Pakistan’s firm position on Palestine, rejecting any proposal for the displacement of Palestinians, and urged the OIC leadership to intensify efforts for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.

The OIC Secretary-General commended Pakistan’s consistent and constructive role within the organisation, particularly in advocating for issues central to the Muslim Ummah.

The Foreign Office said the convening of the extraordinary session demonstrated the collective determination of OIC member states and sent a clear message to the international community on the urgency of upholding the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It added that Senator Dar’s participation further reflected Pakistan’s strong support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.