ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution expressing deep concerns over the increasing oppression and brutalities being perpetrated against the people of Palestine by the Israeli apartheid regime.
The resolution, moved by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, strongly condemned the systematic and institutionalised oppression and domination of the people of Palestine by Israel. It also denounced the systematic and brutal disenfranchisement, exclusion and ethnic cleansing of the Palestine people.
It denounced the attacks by the apartheid Israeli regime on worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan and attempts to stop the Azaan. It denounced and rejected the continuing practice of expanding settlements through forced evictions by the apartheid regime in violation of Fourth Geneva Convention.
The resolution condemned the deliberate destruction of buildings, housing local and international media outlets in Sheikh Jarrah and Jerusalem, carried out with the intent to erase evidence of genocide being committed against the Palestinian people.
It reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the realization of the right to self-determination and other fundamental rights of Palestinians as well as for the two-state solution, based on the pre-1967 borders, and a free, secure, viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
The house called upon the UN Security Council to take necessary action to bring to an end the ongoing crimes against humanity being perpetrated against Palestinians. It urged the United Nations to ensure Israel’s compliance with the resolutions passed by the UNSC, UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council, reaffirming the right to self-determination of the Palestinians. The resolution called upon the UN to ensure Israel’s compliance with the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in time of war. Ensure Israel to immediately halt aggression, which has violated the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is a holy site for over 1.5 billion Muslims, and respect their freedom to worship and allow unfettered access to Muslims to repair any damage done to the religious holy sites by Israel’s criminal actions.
The NA called upon the UN secretary general to establish an independent inquiry tribunal to investigate the crime of genocide by the apartheid Israeli regime against the people of Palestine. It demanded that the international community should ensure accountability for all past and present grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity being perpetrated against Palestinians through fair, impartial and independent accountability and trials.
The resolution called upon the OIC to take immediate decisive steps for the protection and safety of the Palestinian people and to break the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza to provide humanitarian assistance.
Earlier speaking on the floor of the NA, Foreign Minister Qureshi announced to observe the coming Friday as a day of solidarity with the people of Palestine and to condemn Israeli aggression against them. He said that Pakistan strongly condemns indiscriminate attacks on unarmed people of Palestine.
He also said that Pakistan strongly raised its voice at the OIC and other world forums, including during interaction with world leaders, against Israeli barbarism on Muslim brothers and sisters of Palestine.
The foreign minister said that a meeting of the foreign ministers of European Union is taking place on Tuesday and it is hoped that the forum will raise its voice for the sake of humanity and to protect fundamental human rights of the Palestinians.
Qureshi said that the PTI-led government would never step back from the country’s stance on Palestine and Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
He said that he would leave for United Stateson Monday night and meet his Turkish, Palestinian, and Sudanese counterparts there. He said Pakistan, Turkey, Sudan, and Palestine’s foreign ministers would visit New York and raise their voices against Israel’s aggression in the Gaza Strip at the UN General Assembly. “I will represent the voices of 22 million Pakistanis in New York,” he said.
The Permanent Observer Mission of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to the United Nations will contact the president of UNGA and ask him to summon a session on the issue immediately, he said. He informed the house that the Palestinian leadership had lauded Pakistan’s support in the matter.
Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif, speaking on the floor of the house, demanded the government to observe the upcoming Friday as Al-Quds Day to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.
He urged the house to pass a unanimous resolution to condemn Israeli aggression and text of the resolution should be shared with the UN mission in Islamabad.
Shehbaz proposed that relief goods should immediately be dispatched through OIC and the Red Crescent to help the oppressed Palestinians.
