Qureshi for continuous efforts to awaken world conscience on Palestine issue

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday stressed the need for continuous efforts to awaken the world conscience, both on humanitarian and ideological grounds, for resolving the Palestine issue on permanent basis.
He was winding up debate in the Senate on a motion regarding systematic Israeli assault on the Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan, and the apartheid state’s terrorism and mass murder in Palestine, as well as the ongoing violent and illegal occupation of Palestinian lands in the world’s worst example of settler colonialism.
The foreign minister said that durable peace in the Middle East was not possible without resolving the Palestine issue, and stressed the need for evolving international consensus to formulate a comprehensive strategy for the purpose.
He said that Pakistan played a vital role in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza to protect the precious human lives of Palestinian people.
Palestine was the oldest item on the agenda of United Nations Security Council, he added.
The minister highlighted the efforts of Pakistan during the UNSC meeting for an end to Israeli violence and barbarism against the innocent Palestinians in Gaza.
He said that the current crisis emerged on 27th Ramadan-ul-Mubarak after attack on the faithful, who were going to offer prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The crisis triggered as the Israeli police forcefully evicted the Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on 28th Ramadan-ul-Mubarak, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to act over the rising incidents of Islamophobia, he added.
The OIC’s Committee of Permanent Representatives, he said, held its virtual meeting and discussed the Israeli aggression in Palestine, particularly in Al-Quds Al-Shareef. A communique was issued, which fully focused to end Israeli aggression against Palestinians.
The foreign minister said that the federal cabinet headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved sending humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian brethren. They would contact the Egyptian foreign minister for the purpose as Egypt was the only route to send any kind of support to the besieged Palestinians, he added.
Regarding withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan had consistently been saying that there should be a responsible and orderly withdrawal to avoid any security vacuum.
He said that Pakistan was part of solution and not that of the problem, and the world had acknowledged it now. Pakistan would continue to play its positive role in facilitating the Afghan peace process.
“Our sole objective is to see peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan, as the peace in the neighbouring country is directly linked with the progress and development of Pakistan,” he added.
The projects like TAPI gas pipeline and CASA-100, he said, could only be materialised if there were peace in Afghanistan. Both the projects would help end the energy crisis in Pakistan, he added.
Qureshi said that US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had also accepted the positive role of Pakistan towards resolving the issues and stability in Afghanistan. It was a paradigm shift due to sacrifices of the people and armed forces as stability in Afghanistan was always preferred for stability in the region, he added.
Qureshi termed the news regarding presence of US military and air base inside Pakistan baseless and speculative. No US base could exist in Pakistan during the government of Prime Minister Imran, he added.
Today, Pakistan is in safe hands, the minister concluded.