It was Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who set the right tone after Israel’s strike on Doha. He dismissed attempts to disguise aggression as self-defence, calling Israel an occupier trampling international law and shielded by impunity. This intervention, especially in the face of vile accusations from Israel, stood out for its precision and moral clarity, qualities often missing in the diplomatic language of our time.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to co-sponsor the Arab-Islamic summit and fly to Doha was also significant. Pakistan could easily have chosen the safer course of routine condemnation from afar. Instead, by standing alongside Qatar in a moment of direct violation, Sharif ensured Pakistan’s solidarity was visible. His language was firm, declaring Israel’s actions “heinous” and demanding a unified Muslim response. It was not statesmanship of great daring, but it was the right instinct at the right moment.
Beyond such words, however, lies a sobering truth. Pakistan has no real leverage over Israel. With no ties to suspend and no economic clout to wield, our influence ends at statements and symbolic gestures. This limitation is not ours alone. The OIC has, for decades, been long on outrage and short on resolve. Strong communiqués are issued, but no collective sanctions follow and no political consequences are imposed. Israel has learned that it can defy them all and pay no price.
Part of this paralysis is structural. Gulf monarchies are bound to Washington by security, others are beholden to financial institutions, while some quietly prize their new equations with Israel. The rhetoric of “Muslim unity” masks profound divisions. Doha’s bombing may have briefly rallied voices, but unity in indignation is still not unity in action.
While summits and statements dominate the headlines, Gaza sinks deeper into catastrophe. Israeli air strikes on two UN schools sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City killed at least 31 people on Saturday, many of them children. The overcrowded makeshift shelters, often UNRWA-run, are being targeted with devastating regularity. Meanwhile, lives already shredded by bombardment are now torn by starvation and the collapse of what little shelter remained. Places of refuge are being destroyed one after another.
Qatar’s strike should have been a wake-up call. If even a wealthy Gulf capital is not immune, what safety can others claim? Economic pressure, diplomatic downgrades, and coordinated moves at multilateral forums are, therefore, required on an urgent basis. Otherwise, declarations of solidarity will remain as empty as they sound.
Pakistan’s voice at the UN and in Doha showed that it still stands where it always has, with the oppressed. The question now is whether the Muslim world can finally risk something more than speeches. *