— PM laments int’l community’s silence on Palestinian genocide
— Welcomes Palestinian students to their ‘second home’
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, while lamenting the silence of the international community to halt genocide in Gaza, assured the Palestinian students of every possible facility and quality education in their ‘second home’ Pakistan.
Addressing a batch of Palestinian students from the war-torn Gaza, the prime minister said that a batch of ‘shining and outstanding students’, have now arrived in their second home.
He said the ongoing massacre of Palestinians was known to the entire world. “It is heart-wrenching to watch brutalities and atrocities committed by the Israeli occupation forces on daily basis. They have killed more than 43,000 Palestinians while thousands had been maimed and injured,” he added.
The prime minister said that cities after cities had been demolished, buildings razed to the ground and the international community had yet to act, and regretted, “Speeches, resolutions and commitments are still to see the light of the day. Whether these were UNSC resolutions or ICJA’ verdict at the Hague, nothing has helped in bringing ceasefire in Gaza where the world had not seen this kind of carnage in the contemporary history.”
The prime minister recollected that during his participation in the United Nations General Assembly session, they heard speeches after speeches of the world leaders about the plight of the Palestinians and as to how Israeli forces had been committing genocide in this part of the world, but the blood continued to spill on the streets of Gaza, hospitals were smashed, schools bombard and the world was mere a spectator.
The prime minister referred to the international community’s interference to bring about peace in different parts of the world including Sudan and Bosnia.
In Bosnia, he said, cries were finally heard after a large number of Muslim population was martyred there. The mass graves were unearthed and finally, the global community came to realization, he added.
Prime Minister Sharif regretted the double standards in this world where the powerful and mighty remained untamed. He said the hope of the Palestinian people gave inspiration to the entire world who were facing challenges and where every family was suffering.
The prime minister also referred to a recent footage of two minor Palestinian sisters struggling together and said it had touched every heart but not touched those who matter- to take decision and save the people of Gaza, Palestine and Lebanon.
The prime minister further shared his sincere sympathies with the people of Palestine, on behalf of himself, the government and the people of Pakistan. He said that the government of Pakistan would take all possible measures to extend all kind of facilities to the students during their stay.
The prime minister said that it was not just a gathering of the students but of a family. He also thanked all the stakeholders under Gaza Health Outreach programme including Al Khidmat Foundation.
The prime minister said that they would welcome other Palestinian students on their soil and in this regard, he had already issued directives to the relevant authorities. He reassured that the cost of their education would be borne by the government.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, PM’s Coordination on Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath said that a total of 145 students had arrived Pakistan from Gaza who were admitted to various medical and dental facilities in Islamabad and Lahore. They were being facilitated to get quality education, he added.
President Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, Dr Rizwan Taj said that after receiving directive from the prime minister on July 10, they made arrangements in collaboration with all the stakeholders to facilitate Palestinian students to get quality education in Pakistan. A total of 24 students were enrolled in Lahore and the rest121 in Islamabad who were now getting medical education, he added.
He informed that the medical institutions were not charging any kind of fee from them, adding that those universities that had offered free training deserved appreciation.
