UNHRC resolution on Palestine termed diplomatic success of Pakistan

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Friday termed adoption of the resolution on Palestine by United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a major diplomatic success for Pakistan.

The Minister was addressing a news conference along with Information Minister Chaudhary Fawad Hussain. She said that the same diplomatic efforts can be done on the Kashmir dispute. She said that the resolution has also exposed the countries that claim to be champions of human rights and democracy but either opposed or abstained from voting on the resolution.

“India didn’t vote in the favour of Palestine as it is committing the same blatant human rights violations in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir which Israel is perpetrating on the Palestinian territory,” she said.

The Minister said this is a very important resolution as it received support from across all the regions. She said the UN Human Rights Council's resolution has set good precedence and a similar resolution can also be moved on the Kashmir dispute with the support of the OIC.

The resolution was initiated by Pakistan and supported by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The resolution called for the establishment of an international independent investigation commission to probe into Israel's human rights violations against Palestinians. The UN Secretary General would provide resources to the commission and the Office of the High Commission of Human Rights would provide logistical and technical support to the Commission.

After debate in a special one-day council session, on May 27, the UNHRC decided to create an open-ended international investigation into violations surrounding the latest bout of Israeli aggression against Gaza, and into "systematic" abuses by Israeli forces. The resolution, passed with 24 of the council's 47 members in favour, would lead to an unprecedented level of scrutiny on abuses and their "root causes" in the 73 years old Middle East crisis.

She also read Clause 7 of the resolution which urges all states to refrain from conferring harms where they assess, in accordance with the applicable national procedures and international obligations, that there is a risk that these arms may be used in the commission of facilitation of serious violations or abuses of international human rights or violation of international humanitarian laws. She said that western countries that provide weapons to other states need to reassess that their arms shall not be used against Palestinians.

Shireen Mazari said that Israel is committing war crimes against Palestinians and the attack on Al-Aqsa mosque was not just an attack on Palestinians but the faith of Islam. She was confident that now the voice of oppressed people of Palestine and Kashmir will echo in the whole world. She said that the decision to establish a standing international commission of inquiry to investigate human rights violations represents a global resolve to end systemic impunity and injustice and begin a process of accountability.

In his remarks, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhary Fawad Hussain said the leadership role played by Prime Minister Imran Khan on the issue of Palestine is before the people of Pakistan and the entire Muslim Ummah.