Pakistan expresses ‘deep regret’ as US vetoes UNSC Gaza ceasefire resolution

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan Thursday expressed its “deep regret” over the United States’ veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, during a weekly briefing, said that Pakistan condemns the US decision to veto the Gaza ceasefire resolution, calling it deeply regrettable.

She said that Pakistan has serious concerns regarding the safe havens for terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the foreign support these groups receive.

This external support poses a significant challenge to Pakistan’s security and should be seriously addressed by the international community.

The spokesperson also addressed the letter written by a British Member of Parliament about political and personal freedoms in Pakistan, which circulated on social media. She clarified that this letter was an internal matter between the British Parliament and its member, and it had not been shared with Pakistan officially.

Regarding the suggestion of appointing a Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch dismissed the rumors, stating that the Chinese and Russian special envoys for Afghanistan had recently visited Pakistan and held meetings with Pakistani officials.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch also mentioned that Pakistan is engaged in discussions with the US on security issues, including the transfer of ballistic missiles into the hands of terrorist groups.

It is worth noting that the US vetoed the Gaza ceasefire resolution in the UN Security Council on November 20 claiming it would have embouldened Hamas.

The resolution called for an immediate end to the 13-month-long war in Gaza and demanded the release of Israeli nationals held by Hamas.

The US used its veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council to block the resolution.

The resolution demanded “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in the war between Israel and the Palestinian group, along with “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

But Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon claims the resolution “was not a path to peace, it was a road map to more terror, more suffering and more bloodshed.

Robert Wood, deputy ambassador to the United Nations, said that the US position remained there had “to be a linkage between a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”