ISLAMABAD/NEW YORK: The knives are out, and Pakistan is not mincing its criticism over statements made by the Israeli prime minister. This comes after Israel’s war machinery carried out an unprovoked attack on Qatar—a close ally of Pakistan, an important Muslim state, and an independent capital renowned for facilitating peace talks in the region.
The Spokesperson at the Foreign Office during the weekly media briefing at the Foreign Office said that Pakistan does not respond to statements by the purveyors of genocide. He did not name Israel.
“What is happening right now in the Middle East, which is our immediate neighborhood, we follow it very closely. But let me be absolutely clear, Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself against any external threat. Pakistan remains a responsible nuclear state and a proponent of regional peace and stability.”
To a query he pointed out that any misadventure or threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will be met with a resolute response.
Pakistan is still coordinating with the Arab-Islamic Summit states and the media will be updating events leading to the Emergency Session of Arab-Islamic Summit being held on 15th September.
“The details are being worked out, and as the details become ready, we will share it. Diplomatic position of Pakistan has been articulated at United Nations Security Council. We were one of the conveners of the meeting, and you must have seen the press statement issued by the UN Security Council. It, of course, is a product of the consensus of the entire council, but specifically for Pakistan’s position, I will request you to again look at the statement by Pakistan’s ambassador, which is very clear in articulation of our position,” he said.
In this regard he pointed to the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, and also the statement issued by the prime minister and deputy prime minister, which are very clear that repeated Israeli attacks against sovereign states in the region are a matter of grave concern, not only for the Muslim Ummah but also for the wider international community.
“These provocations represent a dangerous pattern that threatens regional peace and security. The issue has been actively taken up within the OIC, whose member States have strongly condemned the aggression and expressed full solidarity with the affected countries, most recently, Qatar”, he said.
In this regard an extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit has also been called in Doha on 15th September to deliberate on a joint response. Pakistan, along with other Muslim countries, had called for urgent deliberations at the UN Security Council, which have already concluded. The Muslim world in this regard would remain united in its demand for an immediate end to Israeli hostilities and for respect of international law and UN Charter.
To a query on Pakistan-Türkiye relations the spokesperson underlined that Türkiye is one of Pakistan’s closest partners and friends.
“We share a long-standing, robust partnership within which, of course, defence cooperation is an important component of a larger, deeper cooperation, which covers multiple areas, including economy, trade, people to people contact, culture, tourism etc. So, defence cooperation is an important component of that. But on this specific visit by the Turkish defence minister, he was here as the co-chair of the Joint Ministerial Commission, which is part of the overall architecture of dialogue between Pakistan and Türkiye.”
While the new British home secretary of Azad Kashmir descent was quoted in all newspapers including ‘The News’ that Pakistan would be amongst the countries if they refused to play ball would be at the receiving end of consequences, the Foreign Office spokesperson turned the home secretary’s remarks on its head and replied, “Home secretary statement does not mention Pakistan. Pakistan and the UK maintain a very robust relationship. The UK remains a very close friend and partner of Pakistan, and in line with the positive direction and the richness of our relations, the two countries maintain a strong and constructive cooperation on issues relating to migration, consular issues, including return and readmission, law enforcement, judicial cooperation, border control, capacity building and legal migration.”
This cooperation, he added, streamlined through various agreements such as transfer of prisoners and the UK-Pakistan Readmission Agreement. These frameworks facilitate close collaboration on the repatriation and management of individuals in accordance with the law reflecting our mutual commitment to justice and the rule of law. Both countries continue to work together to address shared challenges in the spirit of partnership, mutual understanding and respect.
“And also, I wish to highlight that we are one of the few countries which has a return agreement with the UK. For example, if any national from our side is caught who has entered the UK illegally, or is there illegally, in terms of expired visa, and if we are satisfied that he is a Pakistani national, we take him back. And the UK has such agreements with very few countries. So, there is no question of Pakistan being a target of a specific policy. We are doing much more than the countries in the region for that matter,” he said.
To a query on interest by western world capitals regarding rare earth minerals in Pakistan, the spokesperson passed the ball on to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
“Commercial agreements have their own mechanism. SIFC is facilitating it. Please keep in view, the banks are involved for raising capital for which the banks do due diligence and meet their fiduciary requirements, including assessing the financial solvency of the projects. So, there is nothing, in a way, which is kind of behind the curtains. Such arrangements are regular corporate agreement. And we will encourage investment from all over. About the specifics of a particular commercial agreement, again the Foreign Ministry is not in a position to explain to you the details. I would refer you to SIFC for that.”
Meanwhile, speaking at the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) emergency meeting on the Middle East in New York, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar assailed Israel’s strike on Qatar, terming it a violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Iftikhar said the attack was not only an assault on a sovereign country but also a blow to international peace and security.
“This reckless and provocative attack constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, contrary to the fundamental principles of international law, including the UN Charter,” the envoy remarked.
Ambassador Iftikhar further added: “At a time when delicate negotiations on the Gaza peace deal were progressing towards a possible breakthrough, striking the territory of a principal mediator and those directly involved in negotiations is a deliberate attempt to sabotage diplomacy, derail peace efforts, and prolong the suffering of civilians.”
The UNSC condemned the strikes on Qatar’s capital Doha but did not explicitly name Israel in its statement, which was supported by all 15 members, including the United States.
In his UNSC address, Iftikhar reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Qatar’s mediation role in the Middle East and reiterated Islamabad’s backing of a two-state solution. He said Israel’s aggression undermined both regional stability and prospects for a just and lasting peace.
“This brazen and illegal assault is not an isolated incident, rather it is part of a broader and consistent pattern of aggression and violation of international law by Israel.
“Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with Qatar,” he added, warning that violations of international law and peace must not be ignored.
“It is evident, that Israel, the occupying power is bent on doing everything to undermine and blowup every possibility of peace. Clearly, Israel’s destructive policies are incompatible with the international community’s quest for peace and stability. Sadly, it has been emboldened by the weak response, and inaction by this Council,” the diplomat lamented.
While speaking on the water dispute, Iftikhar also raised concerns over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), emphasising that water should never be used as a weapon. He underlined that the treaty, in place for more than six decades, remained Pakistan’s lifeline and could not be suspended unilaterally by any party.
The UN envoy stated that despite political tensions, the IWT had endured as a framework for cooperation on shared resources.
However, he warned that India’s suspension of regular water-flow data sharing had raised concerns that New Delhi could either block water to Pakistan or trigger flooding by releasing large volumes at once.
At a time when devastating floods have again hit Pakistan, the envoy stressed that cooperation over water management was not a choice but a necessity.
Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly voted to endorse a declaration outlining “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians ahead of a meeting of world leaders.
The seven-page declaration is the result of an international conference at the UN in July — hosted by Saudi Arabia and France — on the decades-long conflict. The United States and Israel boycotted the event.
A resolution endorsing the declaration received 142 votes in favour and 10 against, while 12 countries abstained.