JEDDAH: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar has reiterated Pakistan’s stance for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire across Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Addressing at the 21 st extraordinary session of the OIC council of foreign ministers in Jeddah, Ishaq Dar also called for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution regarding the Palestine issue.
The Deputy Prime Minister also stressed the need for renewed and reinforced international support to UNRWA, which remains indispensable to the survival of millions of Palestinians. He added that the OIC fraternity must play a proactive role to this end.
DPM demanded an end to forced displacement, illegal settlement expansion and annexation of Palestinian land, particularly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
He said Israel’s declared intent to occupy Gaza city would be a deliberate attempt to obliterate Palestinian existence and heritage and it must be firmly opposed.
Ishaq Dar also demanded accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
He said Israel must not be allowed to act with impunity in defiance of the UN Charter international law, including international humanitarian law and the binding measures of the International Court of Justice.
Besides, he said any desecration of Al Aqsa Mosque is an intolerable provocation.
The incursions by Israeli officials into Al-Quds Al-Sharif are a deliberate assault on Muslim settlements, a blatant violation of international law, and a direct challenge to the collective conscience of the Muslim Ummah.
He said the OIC must remain vigilant and united in protecting Islamic and Christian holy sites against all attempts at unilateral alteration.
Ishaq Dar urged the UN Security Council to impose a cost on Israel if it defies the demands and the will of the international community.
The Council must enact enforcement measures including the deployment of an international protection force to save the besieged population in Gaza.
The Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed that Palestine is a priority for Pakistan. As a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Pakistan will continue to work with the OIC and Arab partners to mobilize global support for the Palestinian right to self-determination, justice and peace.
Ishaq Dar also declared Israeli Prime Minister’s statement for creation of a so-called ‘Greater Israel’ as a direct threat to regional and international peace and security.
He said the root cause of this ongoing tragedy is Israel’s prolonged, illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. As long as this occupation endures, peace will remain elusive. He said Pakistan fully stands by its brotherly Arab states in safeguarding their sovereignty against threats to their independence and territorial integrity.
The Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan welcomes the growing international momentum in support of the Palestinian statehood and full membership of the UN.
