Pakistan’s prime minister to begin three-country tour amid Middle East crisis

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on a three-country tour this week as Pakistan steps up diplomacy following an Israeli strike in Qatar that killed six people, including Hamas members engaged in ceasefire talks, officials said Monday.

Sharif will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sept. 17 for meetings with the kingdom’s leadership before heading to the United Kingdom for talks with British officials, according to government sources.

He is scheduled to arrive in New York on Sept. 21 to attend the United Nations General Assembly, where he will deliver an address on Sept. 26.

Sharif will also participate in a Sept. 22 summit on the two-state solution for Palestine. It is expected that several countries — including Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium — will formally recognize a Palestinian state at this summit.

He is expected to return to Pakistan on Sept. 29 via the United Kingdom.

The diplomatic push comes after Sharif co-hosted an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha on Monday, where leaders from nearly 60 countries called for a review of ties with Israel.

The rare joint session of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation followed the Israeli strike in the Qatari capital, which Qatar described as an attempt to sabotage ceasefire efforts.

Pakistan has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while reaffirming its support for a two-state solution.