Pakistan “disappointed” over outcome of UNSC’s Gaza meeting; calls for end to bombardment, blockade: FO

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday expressed its disappointment over the results of the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held on Wednesday, and called for an immediate end to the bombardment and inhumane blockade of Gaza. “We are nationally disappointed by the results of the UNSC debate. The Security Council should play its designated role to bring an immediate end to the bombardment and blockade leading to a humanitarian catastrophe,” the Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in her weekly press briefing.

The spokesperson was referring to use of the veto power by the United States at the UN security council to block a resolution calling for Israel to allow humanitarian corridors into the Gaza Strip, a pause in the fighting and the lifting of an order for civilians to leave the north of the besieged territory. China, Russia and the UAE had convened the meeting to discuss the worsening situation in the Gaza. The resolution, sponsored by Brazil, had wide support and would have also condemned all violence against civilians. The vote in the 15-member Council was 12 votes in favour to one (United States) against, with Russia and China abstaining. She said Pakistan did not believe in escalation rather wanted a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and called upon the international community to work together to ensure peace. Asked whether Pakistan intended to send its troops to Palestine under any mandate, not to fight against Israel rather for maintenance of peace, the spokesperson said that Pakistan had no such plan. She said Pakistan had a peaceful posture and never started war with any country and always called for dialogue to seek resolution of the issues. She reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation on Israeli atrocities in Gaza particularly the recent attack on a hospital. She said the

deliberate attack on civilians constituted to the war crimes. Spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch told the media that a chartered plane carrying 100 tons of humanitarian assistance including medical supplies, tents and blankets would leave later on the day for Egypt for their onward transportation to Gaza for the suffering Palestinian population. She told the media that a briefing session was held for the diplomatic corps on the subject of the repatriation of illegal foreign nationals from Pakistan.

She said an institutional mechanism has been developed to prevent the incidents of harassment and a helpline has also been established to address the complaints. Asked about any extension in the deadline of 31st October, she said the government had the mandate to make any such decision. About the OIC ministerial meeting on Gaza issue held in Jeddah on Wednesday, Spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch said the joint communique reflected the consensus among the member countries. Referring to the Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s ongoing visit to China to attend Third Belt and Road Forum, she said the visit coincided with the the celebration of the decade of CPEC.

The visit had four components of participation in the Forum, meeting with Chinese leadership, meeting with other leaders attending the event and and interaction with think tanks and media. She said during the visit, Pakistan and China also signed MoUs on the connectivity, communication projects including ML-1, food security and research, industrial cooperation an climate change.

She said on Thursday the prime minister would travel to Urumqi to meet the party secretary, influential corporate executives and deliver a speech at Xinjiang University before returning to homeland on Friday. Highlighted the Indian oppression in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson mentioned the forced closure of Jamia Masjid of Srinagar on last Friday and house arresting Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who was released recently after four years of house-arrest. She said Pakistan would continue to supporting Kashmiri brothers and sisters till the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions.