ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian people on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, observed annually on November 29.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued statements highlighting Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to Palestinian rights and calling for renewed international efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In his message, President Zardari emphasized that Pakistan will continue to provide political, diplomatic, humanitarian, and moral support to Palestinians.
“We reiterate our unwavering support for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” he said.
Paying tribute to the resilience and courage of the Palestinian people, President Zardari underlined Pakistan’s historical solidarity, noting that support for Palestine was embedded in Pakistan’s very foundation, dating back to the Lahore Resolution of 1940.
He also condemned the atrocities committed by Israeli forces in Gaza and highlighted Pakistan’s consistent advocacy for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and humanitarian access at international forums, including the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed these sentiments, describing recent violence in Gaza as catastrophic, with more than 70,000 lives lost, including children, women, and men, and neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure destroyed.
He stressed the need for credible accountability for war crimes and underscored the importance of sustaining ceasefire efforts.
“The high-level conference on the two-state solution and the Gaza peace plan presents a real opportunity. Israel must cease all violations and ensure unhindered humanitarian access, while UNRWA must be fully enabled to resume its operations,” the prime minister said.
He also called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza, and urged attention to the ongoing situation in the West Bank, highlighting that the expansion of illegal settlements remains a major barrier to peace.
Both leaders reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a just, lasting, and comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian question, based on relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
“Today, and for always, Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their rightful struggle for freedom, dignity, and peace,” the prime minister concluded.
