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.
