Pakistan hopeful for UNGA session to bring about ceasefire in Gaza

Islamabad: Pakistan has hoped that the upcoming special emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will play its role in bringing about an urgent and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and condemn the plans for ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

At her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today (Thursday), Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch regretted that despite rising death toll of Palestinians and flagrant violations of international humanitarian laws, the UN Security Council failed to even call for a ceasefire and put an end to the carnage in Gaza.

Reiterating Pakistan's full and unequivocal support for the Palestinian brothers and sisters, the spokesperson urged the backers of Israel to play their role in bringing an end to the atrocities against Palestinians and take effective steps to lift the siege of Gaza.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “The international community must also ensure that Israeli violence and bombing campaign does not spread and engulf the entire Middle East”.

The spokesperson stated that Pakistan believes that durable peace in the Middle East will emerge from a two state solution and the creation of a secure, viable and contiguous state of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

When asked about the imposition of sanctions by the US on three Chinese companies for providing missile related items to Pakistan, the spokesperson told: “In the past also we have seen entities added to the entity list on suspicion”.

We do not see any new thing in the latest order. She, however, said that such designations contradict the US policy of export control waivers granting access to India to advance military technologies which is undermining the strategic stability in South Asia.

To a question, the Zahra replied that Pakistan has always called for peace and dialogue including on the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

She continued to say that current situation demands that New Delhi ensures that people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) are able to live in peace without intimidation.

The people of IIOJK will never accept and have never accepted the illegally occupation of their land, she said adding that Pakistan will continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people until the realization of their inherent right to self-determination as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

When asked about the repatriation of illegal foreign nationals, Mumtaz Zahra added this decision has been taken as per our national laws to ensure the safety and security of Pakistan. We have also informed the Afghan authorities that this policy is not Afghan specific.