ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday voiced his support for the Palestinian people and demanded the world stop human rights violations in Gaza, Sharif’s office said, as Pakistanis marked Eid Al-Fitr.
The three-day Eid Al-Fitr festival starts on the first day of the month of Shawwal in the Islamic lunar calendar. The festival marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
In Pakistan, the day dawned with special congregational prayers at mosques and Eidgahs nationwide, with people praying for peace, progress and security of Pakistan and the Muslim world.
In his message on Eid, Sharif said it is a day of joy, gratitude, brotherhood and compassion, and the people of Pakistan must remember their brothers and sisters, especially the oppressed people of Palestine, on the occasion.
“Pakistan always stands with them and will always be,” he said. “The international community should stop human rights violations and provide relief to these innocent Muslims.”
Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has consistently called for a cessation of hostilities in Gaza, where Israel’s war has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians since Oct. 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel.
The South Asian country has dispatched several aid consignments for the war-torn Palestinian people and demands an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and pre-1967 borders.
Sharif said Pakistan was currently facing threats from both internal and external enemies and called for national unity to foil any conspiracy against the country.
“We must avoid all kinds of extremism, hatred and sectarianism,” the prime minister urged. “We should unite and lead our country on the path of development and prosperity.”
In his message, President Asif Ali Zardari urged the nation to remember their brothers and sisters, who were less privileged on this joyous occasion, saying the real happiness of Eid lies in sharing the joys with others.
“This day also teaches us the lesson of unity and solidarity, that we should unite in our ranks, support each other and play our role in taking Pakistan on the path of progress and prosperity,” Zardari said. “We have to promote brotherhood among ourselves so that our country emerges as a strong and prosperous state.”
Pakistan’s military services chiefs and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee also congratulated the nation on Eid Al-Fitr, urging the nation to stand united amid a surge in militancy in the South Asian country.
“Eid Al-Fitr, marking the conclusion of Ramadan, stands as a symbol of unity, compassion, and gratitude. For our soldiers, the true essence of Eid is embodied in the honor of defending our cherished nation— even in separation from family— while striving to foster peace, prosperity, and harmony,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, citing the top brass.
“In the spirit of Eid, the Armed Forces of Pakistan call upon all citizens to unite under the banner of love, respect, and solidarity, the very principles that define our great nation.”
On Eid Al-Fitr, Pakistan PM demands world end rights violations in Gaza
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On Eid Al-Fitr, Pakistan PM demands world end rights violations in Gaza
- In Pakistan, the day dawned with special congregational prayers at mosques and Eidgahs
- PM Shehbaz Sharif calls for national unity to defeat militancy and achieve economic stability
Thousands of Afghans displaced by Kabul-Islamabad conflict
- The neighbors have clashed since Thursday when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in retaliation for Pakistani air strikes
- Islamabad has hit back along the border and with fresh air strikes, bombing multiple sites including the former US air base at Bagram
KABUL: More than 8,000 Afghans have been forced from their homes by fighting with Pakistani forces along the border in recent days, the Taliban government said Tuesday.
The neighbors have clashed along the frontier since Thursday, when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in retaliation for Pakistani air strikes.
Islamabad has hit back along the border and with fresh air strikes, bombing multiple sites including the former US air base at Bagram, the capital Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar.
“Due to these brutal bombings and attacks, 8,400 of our families have been displaced, forced to leave their villages and homes,” Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said at a news conference.
An AFP journalist near the frontier has spoken to residents who have fled the clashes.
Afghanistan’s defense ministry reported “extensive and heavy offensive and revenge attacks” across seven provinces over the past day.
The government acknowledged earlier air strikes on Bagram for the first time.
“Yes, the enemy targeted Bagram as well, but there were no casualties or damage,” defense ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khowarazmi said.
Two residents told AFP on Sunday that they heard air strikes in Bagram, north of the capital.
Pakistani security sources said strikes at Bagram were based on “credible intelligence” to disrupt the “supply of critical equipment and stores” for Afghan soldiers and militants fighting Pakistan forces along the frontier.
They said Pakistan reserves the right to respond to the Taliban government’s “aggression along its border by striking legitimate targets at the time and place of its own choice.”
Pakistani fighter jets also flew nighttime sorties over Kabul, another security source told AFP.
UN ‘ALARMED’
Islamabad’s confirmation that its aircraft flew over the Afghan capital came hours after AFP journalists in the city heard multiple explosions.
The blasts were heard alongside anti-aircraft weapons and gunfire from across the city.
An AFP journalist in Jalalabad city, between Kabul and the frontier, reported hearing explosions and various weapons being fired.
At the nearest border crossing, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Jalalabad, residents in Torkham told AFP the days-long fighting was ongoing.
The latest casualties include three children killed in a “crime committed by the Pakistani military regime” in Kunar province, Fitrat said Monday.
At least 39 civilians have been killed since Thursday, the Afghan government said, a toll which Pakistan has not commented on.
The UN children’s charity said it was “alarmed” by reports of child casualties in the conflict, and called on all sides to “exercise maximum restraint, protect civilian lives.”
Pakistan said its February air strikes that sparked the escalation were targeting militants.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against militant groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government rejects.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday it was “never too late to talk,” but warned: “We will finish this menace.”
The Afghan defense ministry spokesman said more than 25 soldiers have been killed, while estimating Pakistani fatalities among troops at around 150.
Pakistan says more than 430 Afghan soldiers have been killed, with more than 630 wounded.
Casualty claims from both sides are difficult to verify independently.
The violence of recent days is the worst since October fighting killed more than 70 people on both sides, with land borders between the neighbors largely shut since.
