ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday condemned Israel’s bombing of the historic Grand Mosque in Gaza’s Khan Younis and urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to protect the Palestinians by putting an end to Israeli violations of the international law, the Pakistani foreign office said.
Israel has carried out near-daily raids across Gaza and the West Bank since the October 7 attacks by Hamas, according to the Palestinian authorities. The Israeli military campaign has destroyed 610 mosques and three churches over the past 10 months in Gaza.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign office, expressed grave concerns and unequivocal condemnation of the recent large-scale military operations by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the bombing of the historic Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, Gaza by the Israeli occupation forces,” she said. “This attack is a grievous assault on a place of deep cultural and religious significance. It also constitutes a clear violation of international law.”
Baloch urged the UNSC to hold Israel accountable for “egregious violations” of international humanitarian law and “war crimes” in Gaza.
“We call on the UN Security Council to take urgent and concrete measures to end these blatant violations of international law and the UN charter, protect the Palestinian people and hold Israel accountable for its egregious violations of international humanitarian law and the genocide and war crimes in Gaza,” she said.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Speaking about the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Cameroon today, Baloch said Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi will present the South Asian nation’s perspective on Gaza and Kashmir along with other global issues.
The two-day event will be held in Cameroon’s capital city of Yaoundé. Pakistan actively participates in CFM meetings to address issues affecting the Muslim world, including Palestine, Kashmir and counterterrorism, while promoting regional cooperation, economic development and Islamic solidarity apart from fostering collaboration with other member states to tackle common challenges and opportunities.
Pakistan condemns bombing of Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, calls on UN to protect Palestinians
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Pakistan condemns bombing of Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, calls on UN to protect Palestinians
- Pakistan foreign office terms Israeli attack a ‘grievous assault’ on a religious place
- Over 40,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces since war began last year
Pakistan, China call for more ‘visible, verifiable’ actions to dismantle ‘terrorist’ groups in Afghanistan
- Foreign ministers of China, Pakistan co-chair seventh round of strategic dialogue in Beijing to review bilateral cooperation, regional situation
- Pakistan accuses Kabul of facilitating attacks launched by militant outfits from Afghanistan’s soil, a charge Kabul has repeatedly denied
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Monday urged Afghanistan to take more visible actions to dismantle “terrorist organizations” based in its country, vowing to work with world powers to encourage Kabul to adopt moderate policies and integrate into the international community.
Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain strained as Islamabad alleges militant outfits, mainly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group, uses Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban government of facilitating these attacks against Pakistan, charges Kabul have repeatedly denied.
The joint statement by China and Pakistan was released after a meeting of both countries’ foreign ministers, Ishaq Dar and Wang Yi, in Beijing. Dar and his Chinese counterpart co-chaired the Seventh Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing on Jan. 4 where they reviewed cooperation in trade, investment, economic sectors, counterterrorism, defense and regional matters.
“The two sides called for more visible and verifiable actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan which continue to pose serious threats to regional and global security, and prevent terrorist organizations from using the Afghan territory for terrorism against any other country and to endanger any other country,” the statement read.
The joint statement said the two countries will work with world powers to encourage Kabul to adopt an inclusive political framework, moderate policies, and pursue good neighborliness.
On bilateral cooperation, China and Pakistan said they had agreed to focus on industry, agriculture and mining, and also promote the building and operation of the Gwadar Port in southwestern Pakistan.
“The two sides will deepen cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, information technology, science and technology, cybersecurity, technical and vocational training and education, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges,” the statement said.
“The two sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the financial and banking sectors, including extending mutual support at regional and international multilateral financial forums. Pakistan appreciated China for providing support for its fiscal and financial sectors.”
The joint statement said China commended Pakistan’s “comprehensive measures” to combat “terrorism” and protect Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in the country.
“The two sides reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations with zero tolerance, and agreed to further deepen all-round cooperation on counter-terrorism and security, and make concerted efforts to ensure that the China-Pakistan Belt and Road cooperation advance in a secure and smooth manner,” the statement said.
Pakistan and China expressed their willingness to conduct a transboundary water resources cooperation, stressing the importance of fulfilling international legal obligations. The statement comes as Pakistan frequently accuses India of violating a water-sharing agreement between the two neighbors, claiming New Delhi purposefully diverts the flow of water away from its territory.
Islamabad has warned that any move by New Delhi to stop or divert the flow of Indus rivers to Pakistan will be considered an “act of war.”
Pakistan and China also demanded an unconditional, comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza in their joint statement, reaffirming their support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and for the implementation of a two-state solution in the Middle East.
“The two sides also expressed their concern at the situation in the occupied West Bank, and urged the need for urgently addressing it,” the statement said.
