Pakistan strongly condemns Israeli airstrikes on Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone in Gaza
Celina Ali
Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned the airstrikes by Israeli occupation forces on the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis, Gaza on 10 September 2024, which claimed the lives of 40 civilians.
Executed in an area designated as a safe zone for displaced persons by the Israeli occupation forces themselves, constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, Spokesperson Foreign Office Mumtaz Zahra Baloch saind in her weekly briefing.
She said the carnage in Khan Yunis, without prior warning and in defiance of basic protections, demonstrates a disregard for human life and Israel’s genocidal designs against the Palestinian people. The targeting of individuals seeking refuge in a designated safe zone represents a gross breach of international humanitarian law which necessitates the protection of civilian populations and humanitarian zones.
“We call on the UN Security Council to play its role in preventing Israeli occupation forces from continuing with their genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people and holding them accountable for their war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the spokesperson added.
Likewise, she said Pakistan also strongly condemned the recent decision by the Delhi High Court to uphold the Indian decision to proscribe several political parties, advocating the rights of the Kashmiri people.
Banning of indigenous political parties is part of India’s relentless campaign to subjugate the Kashmiri people, stifle dissent, and consolidate its occupation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), she added.
The FO Spokesperson emphasized that the parties that advocated the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir were being silenced under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) — a law that has increasingly been used as a tool for repression of the Kashmiri people.
Indian judiciary’s role in legitimizing these actions follows recent decisions sanctioning the suppression of legitimate political voices in Jammu and Kashmir. Last year, the Indian Supreme Court upheld the illegal and unilateral acts of 2019 in IIOJK.
“We urge India to remove the ban on all political parties illegally outlawed in IIOJK; respect the rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people; release all political prisoners and human rights defenders; and faithfully implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir,” she added.
She informed that the 23rd meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade Activity of the SCO Member State began in Islamabad today.
Giving details of the meeting, she said it was preceded by the meeting of the Commission of Senior Officials from 10-11 September 2024 in Islamabad to negotiate the documents to be adopted by the 23rd meeting of the Ministers of the SCO member States responsible for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade Activities.
“The two-day Ministerial Meeting is a regular annual mechanism of SCO and will make important contributions in the lead up to the Head of State Meeting in Islamabad,” she said.
Additionally, she said the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, arrived in Pakistan last night for a three-day visit. This is the first ever visit to Pakistan by any Secretary General of IMO.
Secretary General Velasco will hold meetings with Pakistan’s leadership and senior government officials in Islamabad and Karachi.
Replying to a question regarding Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit to be held in Pakistan, the spokesperson said PM Shehbaz Sharif had extended invitations to the Heads of government of all SCO member states and all arrangements were being made for smooth holding of the conference, including all security arrangements.
