ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinians, has expressed his determination to establish an independent Palestinian state and demanded accountability for Israeli atrocities.
In his statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the government and people of Pakistan stand with unwavering resolve with their Palestinian brothers and sisters. For decades, the Palestinian people have been facing tragedies such as deprivation of their right to self-determination, occupation of their land and destruction of peace.
The Prime Minister said that in recent years, more than 70,000 people, including children, women and men, have been martyred in Gaza. Entire settlements have been destroyed, families have been wiped out, while homes, hospitals, schools and basic civil infrastructure have been reduced to rubble. Despite this severe suffering, the Palestinian people have shown extraordinary courage and steadfastness.
He said that full and credible accountability for Israel’s actions against the Palestinians, such as war crimes and genocide, is necessary in accordance with international law.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while describing the high-level conference on the two-state solution and the Gaza peace plan as an important opportunity, said that the ceasefire must be maintained. Israel must stop all violations and ensure uninterrupted provision of humanitarian aid.
He stressed that there should be no obstruction or political interference in the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
In the message, the Prime Minister said that the Palestinian people deserve lasting peace and prosperity, for which it is necessary that the Israeli army completely withdraws from the Palestinian territories, including Gaza. At the same time, the Prime Minister warned that the world should not divert attention from the deteriorating situation in the West Bank and the expansion of illegal Jewish settlements.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan is committed to a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, which is in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly. Pakistan fully supports the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent, viable and contiguous State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that today and always, Pakistan stands with the Palestinian people and will continue to support their legitimate cause of freedom, dignity and peace.