Daily Times

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Friday said Pakistan played a leading role in efforts to end Israeli atrocities against innocent and unarmed people of Palestine, who had braved unabated bombardment and shelling from occupation forces for over two weeks.

Interacting with foreign media here on the occasion of Palestine Solidarity Day observed across the country on the call of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said Pakistan took a firm stand, mustered support of friendly countries and represented the Muslim Ummah’s true sentiments over the Palestinians’ plight at the special session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in an effective manner.

He said the efforts yielded the required results as a ceasefire had been reached between Hamas and Israel, terming it a ‘success’ of Pakistan and its friendly countries’ sincere efforts to mitigate the sufferings of the Palestinians.

He said Pakistan’s response to the Israeli aggression was ‘unequivocal,’ as it instantly reached out to the international community urging them to play a constructive role in stopping the killings of innocent Palestinians.

Sharing some efforts of the government in defusing the tension, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had met the Secretary-General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Makkah (Saudi Arabia) and made telephonic contacts with the Saudi King, and Palestinian and Turkish presidents.

Besides, he said, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi reached out to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, Afghanistan, China, United States and Sudan, and discussed the situation in Palestine.

Fawad said FM Qureshi participated in the Emergency Meeting of the OIC’s Foreign Ministers and presented the case for Palestine, issuing a strong statement condemning Israeli cruelties against the Palestinians.

The information minister said Pakistan’s National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against Israel’s actions, supporting the cause of Palestine and the struggle of its people.

He said the Israeli aggression against innocent Palestinians and the sacrilege of Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest places in the world, especially during the holy month of Ramazan was highly condemnable.

Fawad deplored that the indiscriminate and excessive use of force by the Israeli occupation forces that resulted in martyrdom of innocent Palestinians, including women and children in Gaza and West Bank. “Such attacks are against all humanitarian norms, human rights and international laws.”

“We strongly denounce the systematic and brutal disenfranchisement, exclusion and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people,” he added.

“We reject the continuing practice of expanding settlements through forced evictions (of Palestinians) by the apartheid regime, which are in violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.”

The minister recalled relevant resolutions introduced by Pakistan in the United Nations regarding Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially the seminal UNSC Resolution 271, which was adopted after the incident of the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969.

He reiterated Pakistan’s fullest support to the Palestinian cause, and reaffirmed unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support to the brave and resilient Palestinian people.