Pakistan vows to intensify Gaza ceasefire call at upcoming UNGA session

Palestinians carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, on July 30, 2025. (REUTERS)
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Updated 30 July 2025
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Pakistan vows to intensify Gaza ceasefire call at upcoming UNGA session

  • The 80th session of the UN General Assembly will be held in September in New York
  • Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan will send two aid consignments to Gaza via Egypt, Jordan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Pakistan would join other countries in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, criticizing Israel for its military operations in the Middle East.

The 80th session of the UNGA will open on Tuesday, September 9, while the first day of the high-level General Debate will begin on Tuesday, September 23.

All eyes will be on the upcoming UNGA as French President Emmanuel Macron announced last week he would formally recognize Palestinian statehood during the summit, provoking strong opposition from Israel and the United States.

“And at the upcoming [United Nations General Assembly] session in September, we will strongly present Pakistan’s position and join voices with all those countries calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and subsequently, for securing the rights of the Palestinian state,” Sharif said in an address to members of the federal cabinet.




Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad on July 30, 2025. (Handout/PMO)

“Pakistan’s voice will not only be aligned with those countries, but it will also be an energetic one.”

His statement comes amid renewed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Israel has killed over 57,000 Palestinians in the territory since October 7, 2023.

Several countries, including international rights organizations and charity institutes, have raised alarm at the outbreak of diseases and starvation in Gaza amid the worsening conditions there.

The Pakistani premier criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, saying that such barbarity has “never been witnessed before.”

Sharif said he had issued directives to the chairman of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to immediately dispatch two consignments of relief items for Gaza.

He said the relief items will be sent via Egypt and Jordan.

“God willing, preparations will be completed soon and these food aid consignments will take off at the earliest possible time,” he added.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar took part this week at a high-level UN summit co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on the two-state solution in the Middle East.

Dar pushed for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and called on other countries to recognize Palestine as an independent nation at the conference. He also demanded Palestine be recognized as a member of the UN.


Pakistan rejects Amnesty claims of Israeli spyware use, calls reports ‘disinformation’

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Pakistan rejects Amnesty claims of Israeli spyware use, calls reports ‘disinformation’

  • FO denies any link with Israel, says Pakistan has “absolutely no cooperation” on surveillance tools
  • Islamabad accuses India of delaying clearance for relief aircraft bound for flood-hit Sri Lanka

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected an Amnesty International report alleging the use of Israeli-made invasive spyware in the country, calling the findings speculative and misleading.

Amnesty’s investigation, published Thursday under the title Intellexa Leaks, cited the case of a Pakistan-based human rights lawyer who reported receiving a suspicious WhatsApp link in 2025. According to Amnesty International’s Security Lab, the link bore signatures consistent with Predator, a spyware product developed by Israeli manufacturer c

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi dismissed the suggestion that Islamabad had deployed the tool or maintained any technological cooperation with Israel.

“These are all media speculations. These are all rumor-mongering and disinformation. There is absolutely no cooperation between Pakistan and Israel on anything, let alone a spyware or these kinds of tools. So, I would reject it quite emphatically,” he said at a weekly briefing.

Andrabi also accused India of obstructing humanitarian operations, saying New Delhi delayed flight clearance for a Pakistani relief aircraft carrying aid to flood-affected Sri Lanka.

“The special aircraft carrying Pakistan’s relief goods had to wait for 48 hours, in fact more than 48 hours, around 60 hours, while the flight clearance from India was delayed,” he said.

He added that the eventual conditional flight window was too narrow to be workable.

“The partial flight clearance which eventually was given after 48 hours was operationally impractical, time-bound just for a few hours and hence not operable, severely hindering the urgent need for the relief mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka,” Andrabi stated.

“Humanitarian assistance is like justice, if it is delayed, it is denied.”

Responding to India’s claim that clearance was granted within four hours, he said Pakistan has documentary proof contradicting New Delhi’s version.

On a separate question about reported delays in the arrival of a Turkish delegation aimed at mediating between Islamabad and Kabul, Andrabi said Pakistan welcomed Ankara’s initiative but was unaware of the cause of postponement.

“We stand ready to receive the Turkish delegation. That delegation has not arrived as yet. And I’m not aware of any schedule. Pakistan is ready to hold negotiations, discussions,” he said, adding that the delay may be linked to coordination with the Afghan side.