Pak demands immediate ceasefire in West Asia

Islamabad, Oct 7 (PTI) The Pakistani government and political parties on Monday joined hands in demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East while condemning Israeli aggression against Gaza and Lebanon.

All major parties except the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf attended a multi-party conference hosted by President Asif Ali Zardari and attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and heads of different parties.

The participants adopted a resolution which was read out by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the conclusion of the conference.

“We express our unwavering support for the inalienable right of the people of Palestine to self-determination and for the relevant OIC and UN resolutions on Palestine that call for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Palestinian Territories and a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict,” it said.

It demanded an “immediate ceasefire and the end of aggression in Gaza” and asked for immediate, unimpeded provision of humanitarian aid and to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law, war crimes and genocide.

Earlier, President Zardari expressed deep concerns over the growing Israeli adventurism in the region and escalation of tension, calling for the international community’s role to take swift action to restore peace and prevent conflict from spilling over.

He said that regrettably, the international community had failed to stop Israel from committing genocide against the Palestinian population, specifically in Gaza, and also questioned the prevailing situation of impunity.

Shehbaz in his address committed to continue support for the Palestinian state and Jerusalem as its capital, as he also demanded an immediate halt to the war. “Our first duty is to stop this bloodshed.” Former premier Nawaz Sharif, who attended his head of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz termed the brutal attacks on Palestinians as one of the “worst examples in history” and said everyone was aggrieved by the bloodied pictures on social media coming out of Gaza of children.

“It seems the UN is completely helpless. There is no implementation of its passed resolutions,” he said.

The conference coincided with the first anniversary of the catastrophic conflict which so far killed over 41,900 Palestinians. PTI SH AMS