ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to Jordan from June 10-11 to participate in a conference on the ongoing war in Gaza, the foreign office said on Monday.
Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, launched after Hamas attacked Isarel last October, has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health ministry, and reduced the enclave to a wasteland.
A proposed Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal hangs in the balance as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns to the Middle East today, Monday, on his eighth diplomatic mission to the region to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo, before traveling to Israel, Jordan and Qatar.
“Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will undertake a two-day visit to Jordan on June 10-11 to participate in the high-level conference ‘Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza’,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The conference has been jointly organized by Jordanian King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The moot aims to identify and develop a “collective response to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the statement said, adding the Pakistan’s participation underscored its continued commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East and its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause.
“On the sidelines, the deputy prime minister is likely to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from participating countries,” the foreign ministry added.
Deputy Pakistan PM Dar to attend Gaza moot in Jordan this week
https://arab.news/bj6hu
Deputy Pakistan PM Dar to attend Gaza moot in Jordan this week
- Gaza conference jointly organized by King Abdullah II, Egypt’s President El-Sisi, United Nations chief
- Muslim leaders aim to identify and develop collective response to “dire humanitarian situation“
China backs Pakistan in fight against militancy after deadly Balochistan attacks
- China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in major infrastructure projects, including in Balochistan
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian says ‘we mourn for lives lost, and our hearts go out to injured and those who lost loved ones’
ISLAMABAD: China condemns the recent attacks that killed more than 200 people in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, reaffirming Beijing’s support for Pakistan in its fight against militancy.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) group launched coordinated attacks in several cities across Balochistan on Saturday, killing 33 civilians and 17 security personnel. Officials said 117 militants were killed in skirmishes and follow-up operations.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is the site of a decades-long insurgency waged by Baloch separatist groups who often attack security forces, foreigners and non-local Pakistanis and kidnap government officials.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“China strongly condemns the [Balochistan] attacks... We mourn for the lives lost, and our hearts go out to the injured and those who lost their loved ones,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
“China firmly opposes any form of terrorism and will as always firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability, and protecting the safety of the people.”
Chinese nationals working in Pakistan have often been targeted by militants, particularly in the southwestern Balochistan province, where China is developing a deep seaport that is touted as the crown jewel of CPEC.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said last week the attacks, claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), were planned from India. New Delhi rejected the allegation as “baseless,” saying Islamabad was attempting to deflect attention from its internal challenges.
Balochistan is home to vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons. Separatist militant groups such as the BLA blame Islamabad for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources and denying locals a share in them. The military and civilian government reject these allegations and say they are investing in the province’s development.
