Killers of Gaza children following Pharaoh’s path: PM

Islamabad: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday strongly denounced the Israeli bombardment in Gaza and drew a historical comparison, highlighting similarities between Israel’s actions and those of Pharaoh for killing the children.

The prime minister, in his address at the 16th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), urged the member countries to rally the efforts to hold Israel to account for its incessant and lethal bombing on the Palestinian people.

In his wide-ranging address, the prime minister raised the issue of Gaza humanitarian crisis twice and reiterated condemnation of killing of children and women, and targeting of the hospitals. “With the elimination of children, I recall in the history when Pharaoh, on the advent of the Moses’ birth killed children. And now, unfortunately, the people who claim to be the followers of Moses, are following the path of Pharaoh,” he remarked.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Caretaker Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz, Caretaker Communications Minister Shahid Ashraf Tarar accompanied the prime minister in the summit held at the Tashkent Convention Center. He told the ECO leaders that the incessant and lethal Israeli bombardment on Gaza was a deplorable act calling for international condemnation. The prime minister said the situation needed to be addressed as per the OIC and UNSC resolutions. He urged the member countries to push for a ceasefire and support the call for the provision of humanitarian aid, besides rallying efforts to hold Israel to account.

He urged the participating countries and the international community to rally behind to have a humanitarian corridor so that the unfortunate and defenseless people of Palestine could be helped out. Prime Minister Kakar also apprised the regional leaders of the unabated Indian atrocities in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and emphasised ECO countries to support Kashmiris in achieving their right of self-determination.

He also touched upon the issues of intolerance, violence and xenophobia and called upon the ECO members and international community to work for building legal deterrence against Islamophobia while maintaining mutual respect, and harmony and co-existence. The prime minister is on a two-day visit of Uzbekistan mainly to attend the summit, besides engaging with the leaders of different countries to discuss mutual cooperation.