Pakistan believes UNGA special meeting to help end Israeli hostility

Pakistani Foreign Office Spokesperson Mr Zahid Hafeez Chaudhrisaid that in clear violation of all humanitarian norms and international human rights laws, Israel had staged series of heavy airstrikes in Gaza, attacked innocent civilians in and outside Al-Aqsa Mosque, forced evictions, and imposed restrictions on fundamental freedoms of the Palestinian people.

 “We hope the special meeting of the UN General Assembly will help send a strong message on behalf of the OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation] to the international community to help end the Israeli aggression and to take concrete steps to find a solution to the Palestinian issue”, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri told a weekly press briefing.

The Foreign Office Spokesperson said that since the current escalation in Palestine, Pakistan was at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to highlight the worsening situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

 “The indiscriminate use of force by the Israeli forces has resulted in deaths and injuries to a large number of innocent Palestinians, including women and children,” he added.

The Foreign Office Spokesperson in that regard mentioned the telephonic conversations held by Prime Minister Imran Khan with the President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

 “Our outreach efforts are aimed at formulating a unified and unequivocal response from the international community against the Israeli aggression,” he maintained.

The Spokesperson further said that the Foreign Minister also represented Pakistan at the Virtual Open-ended Emergency Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee to discuss Israel’s aggression against the Palestinians.

 During all these interactions, he said, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister condemned the indiscriminate use of force and attacks by Israeli forces in Al-Aqsa and Gaza called for the protection of civilians, and underscored the need for the international community to take urgent steps to address the grave situation in the occupied territories.

 “They also reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding commitment to the Palestinian cause and called for the establishment of a viable, independent, and the contiguous State of Palestine: Based on internationally agreed on parameters;  With pre-1967 borders; and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” he added. 

The Foreign Office Spokesperson expressed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the despicable act of demolition of 100-year old Ghareeb Nawaz Masjid in Uttar Pradesh, India with the complicity of the local administration.

 “This reprehensible act echoes the demolition of the centuries-old Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992 at the hands of radical Hindu mob,” he said, and added, “Pakistan once again urges the Indian government to ensure safety, security and protection of minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship.”

The Spokesperson maintained that India must fulfil its responsibilities under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments including the recommendations of the OIC.

“We also call upon the international community, the United Nations and relevant international organizations to play their role in preserving the Islamic heritage sites and ensure the protection of minorities in India,” he added.

About the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), he said they were deeply grieved on the demise of Ashraf Sehrai, who passed away in Indian custody. 

Ashraf Sehrai, a senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and Chairman of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested last year on trumped-up charges under the draconian Public Safety Act in IIOJK, he added.

“Mr Sehrai remained incarcerated in Indian jail under squalid conditions despite the serious deterioration of his health and the prevailing COVID-19 crisis,” he mentioned.

“Like him, several Kashmiri leaders continue to languish in Indian jails, with many at undisclosed locations,” he said and added that as the COVID-19 situation in India deteriorates, they also remained deeply concerned over the health and safety of those Kashmiri leaders.

The Foreign Office Spokesperson said that Pakistan has consistently emphasized that the gross and systematic violations of human rights being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces warrant an investigation by a United Nations Commission of Inquiry, as recommended by the OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) in its reports of 2018 and 2019.