Pakistan, Turkey to jointly seek UNGA meeting on Palestine

By News Desk

MULTAN/ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said Pakistan and Turkey have decided to jointly move the United Nations with consensus among the Muslim Ummah for an urgent meeting of the UN General Assembly to “stop the horrendous brutalities of Israeli army targeting Palestinians”.

Talking to reporters after saying Eid prayers in Multan, Qureshi said the entire Pakistani nation stand united on the issues of Kashmir and Palestine. It comes as President Arif Alvi wrote to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas promising Pakistan’s “full support” to help mobilise the international community for the Palestinian people.

Qureshi said Turkey and Pakistan have adopted a joint strategy to convene a ministerial-level meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to develop a consensus among the 57 Muslim countries to convene an urgent UNGA meeting on the Palestine issue.

The minister strongly condemned the brutal acts of violence by Israeli forces targeting Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque, forced eviction of Palestinians from the Al-Jarrah neighbourhood and airstrikes on Gaza City targeting civilians, including children.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan talked with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on this sensitive issue. Qureshi was also tasked by Khan to talk to his Turkish counterpart, which he said would be doing so later on Thursday.

He said Pakistan had adopted a clear stance during a meeting of permanent representatives of the OIC held at Jeddah and other countries. Turkey has also expressed the same stance. He added that the country had presented a proposal and the Arab League also suggested to convene an urgent ministerial level meeting of the OIC on the Palestine issue to unite the 57 Muslim countries. Qureshi said the issue was discussed at the Security Council and hoped it would be discussed further. He said world leaders should intensify efforts for peace and find a solution for the longstanding dispute.

“Palestine and Kashmir issues are resolvable. Mobilising the Muslim Ummah and international public opinion was vital to secure peace and protect rights of the oppressed,” he added.

He requested the 65 million Muslims living in European countries to write letters to members of their respective parliaments, European parliament and the British Parliament. Muslims living in the US should write letters to the US Congress to convey their concerns about the brutalities in Palestine and Kashmir. He said: “We all have to move forward jointly.”

President Dr Arif Alvi, while strongly condemning Israel’s violence and illegal actions, assured his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas of Pakistan’s efforts in mobilising the international community for the Palestinian cause and raising his voice for the Palestinian people.

In a letter addressed to the Palestinian President on Thursday, Alvi said Israel’s violent acts were against humanitarian norms, human rights and international law. “I reassure you of our efforts in mobilising the international community for the Palestinian cause and to continue raising voice for the Palestinian people,” the President said.

He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding support for a just settlement of the Palestine issue in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and for the establishment of an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian state, with pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds-Al-Sharif as its capital.

The President, in his letter, conveyed the deep sadness and concern over the series of violent attacks perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces against innocent worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

“Your Pakistani brothers and sisters, including myself share your pain and distress caused by Israel’s indiscriminate killing of innocent Palestinians, including children in Gaza. We express our profound sympathies and condolences for the victims of these attacks and pray for speedy recovery of the injured,” the President further added.