FO condemns Israeli assaults on refugee camps in West Bank

ISLAMABAD, Sep 5 (APP):Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned the assault by the Israeli occupation forces on refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm cities of the occupied West Bank, calling it a breach and contempt for international laws.

“Targeting individuals sheltered in refugee camps is yet another breach of international humanitarian law by the Israeli occupation forces, demonstrating their contempt for international law and basic tenets of decency and acceptable international behavior. Pakistan calls for an immediate cessation of these raids masquerading as military operations in the West Bank. We believe that the path to lasting peace cannot be achieved through aggression,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at her weekly press briefing.

The spokesperson also urged the UN Security Council to play its role to prevent Israeli occupation forces from further attacks against civilians, hold Israel accountable for war crimes, and take measures to protect the Palestinian people.

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 said the forum reaffirmed its consensus on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute by declaring that the final settlement of the dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and a UN-supervised plebiscite was indispensable for durable peace and stability in South Asia.

The Yaoundé Declaration also renewed solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expressed full support to their right to self-determination, she added.

Similarly, she said the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir met on the sidelines of the CFM, also reaffirmed support for the Kashmiri people’s struggle and called for an early and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

“We welcome the pronouncements of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Contact Group on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” she remarked.

She told the media that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, who was currently in the UK on an official visit, met with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, David Lammy and discussed the importance of a strong Pakistan-UK partnership, advancing the wide-ranging bilateral agenda, and promoting Pakistan-UK cooperation in the context of the United Nations and Commonwealth.

On Thursday, she said 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.

Spokesperson Baloch told the media that the 23rd meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade Activity of the SCO member states would be held in Islamabad on September 12. Pakistan has extended invitations to the heads of relevant ministries of all SCO member countries.

Responding to a query on the recent statement made on Jammu and Kashmir by India’s Minister for External Affairs, the spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s unequivocal rejection of any narrative that suggested that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been or can be settled unilaterally.

She said that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was an internationally recognized dispute that must be resolved in accordance with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

She told the media that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was expected to attend the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly, and like every year, Pakistan would highlight the issue of Indian atrocities in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, among others.

Responding to a statement by Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, Spokesperson Baloch said that Pakistan always wished to have robust and multifaceted relations with Bangladesh. There existed an immense goodwill between the people of both countries and the extended cooperation would further contribute to regional peace and friendship in the region, she added.

She said Pakistan and China were all-weather strategic partners with multifaceted cooperation. Pakistan remains committed to further strengthening bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

Commenting on the new set of laws on women’s rights introduced by Afghan Interim Government, she said Pakistan’s position on women’s and girls’ right to education was consistent. Every 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 about terror groups in Afghanistan, she said Pakistan, on numerous occasions presented pieces of evidence of activities of terror groups having hideouts in Afghanistan. This is not the concern of mere Pakistan as the UN reports also highlighted the activities of such groups in Afghanistan.