ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday strongly denounced the strike by the Israeli occupation troops on refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm cities of the occupied West Bank, calling it a breach and contempt for global laws.
“Targeting people sheltered in refugee camps is yet another breach of global humanitarian law by the Israeli occupation forces, demonstrating their contempt for global law and basic tenets of decency and acceptable global behavior. Pakistan calls for an immediate cessation of these assaults masquerading as military operations in the West Bank. We believe that the path to lasting peace cannot be obtained through aggression,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at her weekly press briefing.
The spokesperson urged the UNSC to play its role to prevent Israeli occupation troops from further assaults against civilians, hold Israel responsible for war crimes, and take steps to protect Palestinians.
SCO
Baloch told the media that the 23rd meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade Activity of the SCO member nations would be held in Islamabad on September 12. Pakistan has extended invitations to the heads of relevant ministries of all SCO member nations.
Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers
Apprising the media of the recently held 50th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Cameroon and attended by Foreign Secretary Muhammad Sajjad Qazi, she stated that the forum reaffirmed its consensus on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute by declaring that the final settlement of the issue in accordance with the UNSC resolutions and a UN-supervised plebiscite was indispensable for long term peace and stability in South Asia.
Women in Afghanistan
Commenting on the new set of laws on women’s rights introduced by Interim Government in Afghanistan, she stated Pakistan’s position on women’s and girls’ right to education was consistent. Everyone including man and woman has a right to education. As Pakistan’s constitution guarantees rights to women, we wish similar rights for every woman.
To a question regarding terror groups in Afghanistan, she stated Pakistan, on numerous occasions presented pieces of evidence of activities of terrorist groups having hideouts in Afghanistan. This is not the concern of mere Pakistan as the United Nations reports also highlighted the activities of such groups in Afghanistan.
Bangladesh
Replying to a statement by Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, she said that Pakistan always wished to have robust and multifaceted ties with Bangladesh. There existed an immense goodwill between the people of both nations and the extended cooperation would further contribute to regional peace and friendship in the region, she maintained.
Jammu and Kashmir
The Yaoundé Declaration renewed solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expressed complete support to their right to self-determination, she said. Similarly, she added the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir met on the sidelines of the CFM, reaffirmed support for the Kashmiri people’s struggle and called for an early and peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.
“We welcome the pronouncements of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Contact Group on the Jammu and Kashmir issue,” she added. She told the media persons that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who was currently in the United Kingdom on an official trip, met with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, David Lammy and also discussed the significance of a strong Pakistan-UK partnership, advancing the wide-ranging bilateral agenda, and promoting Islamabad-London cooperation in the context of the United Nations and Commonwealth.
Responding to a question on the recent remarks made on Jammu and Kashmir by India’s Minister for External Affairs, Baloch reiterated Pakistan’s unequivocal rejection of any narrative that suggested that the Jammu and Kashmir issue has been or can be settled unilaterally.
The spokesperson said that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was an internationally recognized dispute that must be resolved as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the wishes of the people of Kashmir.
She said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to attend the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and like every year, Pakistan would highlight the issue of Indian slaughters in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), among others.
Pakistan-UK Ties
On Thursday, she stated that the DPM would meet with the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner besides engaging with members of the UK Parliament and representatives of the Pakistani community in the UK.
