Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha Condemns Israeli Aggression, Highlights Pakistan’s Pivotal Role
On Monday, more than 50 Muslim majority countries convened an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha in show of unity, and this was in reaction to the airstrike by Israel on Qatari soil on 9th September, something that has never happened before. Taking place in the capital Center of one of the topmost meetings ended up killing three and injuring several other people, the attack has been extensively criticized as an infringement of the sovereignty of Qatar and a threatening move in the region. The summit is a joint initiative by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) aimed at developing a unified action against actions of Israel besides enhancing unity within the Muslim world.
The Israeli attack was done on a diplomatic meeting and Israel alleged that it was meant to kill a high-profile Hamas person. Qatar, one of the major conflict mediators in the region, and a host to a major US military base, denied the reasoning and declared the attack an act of state terrorism. The summit was opened by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who made a strong speech stating that this aggression is an insult to our country and the Islamic world in general. We will never forgo our quest to seek justice and security.
The draft resolution approved by the summit, which has been handed out among the delegates, seeks international sanctions on Israel, an inquiry by the UN Security Council on the possibility of war crimes and another drive towards the creation of the Palestinian state. The meeting also underscored the increasing role of non-Arab Muslim countries with Pakistan coming out as the key person in championing a united cause.
Pakistan’s Leadership in Crisis
The delegation of Pakistan led by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also at the center of the agenda-setting of the summit. Coming to Doha to hold bilateral negotiations with Qatarian officials and the OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, Sharif called the actions of Israel a great threat to the stability in the region. He requested a military and diplomatic approach to counter any further aggression, saying that Pakistan supports Qatar and the rest of the countries under imperialist attacks. Our resolve is unbreakable."
The aggressive stance of Pakistan is considered to be the weight of the country in the Muslim world. Pakistan being a nuclear-powered state with good relationship among the Gulf countries including Qatar has made itself one of the central supporters of collective security. The proposal of Islamabad to form an Islamic Defence Pact a system of co-ordinated military training, intelligence exchange, and quick reaction to outside hazards attracted a lot of attention. It would be a kind of a pact that, according to analysts, would resemble the collective defence concept of NATO but with particular challenges of interest to Muslim-majority countries, such as Israeli military aggressions and Western supported interventions.
Its distinctive role, according to the Dr. Zafar Nawaz, a geopolitical expert in Islamabad is due to its military capabilities and equally their consistent support of Palestinian and Arab cause. Its leadership in Doha is an indication that it has a bigger agenda of uniting the Muslim world against foreign aggressors.
Pakistan’s Military Prowess: The 2025 India Clash
The recent military achievements by Pakistan support the credibility of the country at the summit the best being the four days in May battle with India in 2025. The short lived, sharp conflict, triggered by Indian airstrikes on suspected militant targets in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir demonstrated the capacity of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to deal with a more powerful opponent. A bout of aerial battles on 7-10 May has seen Pakistan boast having shot down six Indian planes including high-tech Rafale fighter jets.
The PAF has been successful due to its modernization of weapons such as Chinese delivered J-10C fighters and HQ-9 surface to air missile equipment that have dominated the Indian air defense system. Pakistani military sources have claimed that the state of the art radar of the J-10C and the HQ-9 system made the pilots outmaneuver and shoot down two Rafales in dogfight, and the HQ-9 system also neutralized incoming threats. The destruction of at least three Rafales, which was confirmed by satellite imagery and the analysis of debris, was a big blow to a fleet of $200-million-per-unit of India.
Defence capability of Pakistan that is supported by a 10 billion budget and strategic alliances with China has given it prestige in the region. The domestic backing of the military has also been boosted by this May 2025 win, and Prime Minister Sharif is using this momentum to garner support of the Muslim countries in Doha.
A Call for Unity and Action
As the summit continues, there is a shift in the discussion to more practical steps such as economic boycotts, diplomatic isolation of Israel and more military collaboration. The idea of joint military task force proposed by Pakistan can be discussed as an ambitious one, however, there has been controversy over whether it is practical, as there has been historical division between the Arab and Muslim states. Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been cautious of supporting the move whereas the presence of Iran at the summit has complicated the discussions.
The summit is an opportunity to exercise diplomatic influence again in Qatar, despite the physical and symbolic effects of the Israeli attack. Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that Doha is still a beacon of peace and dialogue. But we cannot have peace at the price of our freedom.
With the darkness descending upon Doha, the summit is still going on, the voice of Pakistan making a call to action. It is still unknown whether the meeting can turn the outrage into action, but the message is quite clear: the Muslim world is willing to address aggression through solidarity and determination.
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