Special Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has urged the international community to ensure the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and peace initiatives, highlighting the continuing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, while taking part in “UN Security Council Open Debate on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question” said since the ceasefire, over 1,100 Palestinians have been killed.
He said around two million people remain confined to just 30 percent of Gaza’s territory, enduring catastrophic living conditions. There are also reports of a massive earthen barrier being constructed across Gaza, entrenching Israeli occupation and control over nearly 70 percent of the territory.
Asim Iftikhar urged the Security Council to demand an immediate halt to all settlement activities and reject any attempts at annexation, forced displacement, or alteration of the demographic and geographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He said the only credible path to a just and lasting peace is the establishment of an independent, sovereign, contiguous and viable State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
In the broader context, Asim Iftikhar reiterated Pakistan’s strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all brotherly countries in the region. He urged all sides to exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation and uphold respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Pakistan, on its part, remains committed to providing all support towards achieving lasting peace and stability in the region through dialogue and diplomacy.
