MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday said that Pakistanand Turkey have decided to jointly move the United Nations, with consensusamong the Muslim ummah, for an urgent meeting of the UN General Assembly onthe Palestine issue to stop the horrendous brutalities of the Israeli armytargeting Palestinians.
Talking to journalists after saying his Eid prayers at the mausoleum ofHazrat Bahauddin Zakariya Multani, Qureshi said that the whole Pakistanination stands united on the issues of Kashmir and Palestine.
The foreign minister added that Turkey and Pakistan have adopted a jointstrategy to convene a ministerial-level meeting of the Organisation ofIslamic Cooperation (OIC) to develop consensus among the 57 Muslimcountries to convene an urgent UNGA meeting on the Palestine issue.
The FM strongly condemned the brutal acts of violence by Israeli forcestargeting Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa mosque, forced eviction ofPalestinians from Al-Jarrah neighbourhood, and air strike on Gaza citytargeting civilians including children.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan talked with Turkish president RecepTayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Shah Salman on this sensitive issue.
Qureshi added that he was also tasked by PM Imran to talk to his Turkishcounterpart, adding that he would contact the Turkish Foreign Minister(Today) Thursday.
FM Qureshi said that Pakistan has adopted a clear stance during thepermanent representatives’ meeting of the OIC held at Jeddah and added thatother countries, including Turkey, have also expressed the same.
He said that they had presented a proposal and the Arab League alsosuggested convening an urgent ministerial-level meeting of the OIC on thePalestine issue to unite the 57 Muslim countries.
Qureshi said that the issue has been discussed at the security council andhoped it will be discussed further.
The foreign minister said that international organisations have facedtroubles in Palestine due to Israeli violence and air strikes.
“And these organisations are also demanding immediate stoppage ofatrocities in Palestine,” he said, adding that world leaders shouldintensify efforts for peace and find out a solution to the longstandingdispute.
Qureshi said that Palestine and Kashmir issues are resolvable.
He, however, added that mobilising the Muslim ummah and internationalpublic opinion was vital to secure peace and protect the rights of theoppressed.
He requested the 65 million Muslims living in European countries to writeletters to members of their respective parliaments, the EuropeanParliament, the British Parliament and the Muslims living in the US shouldwrite letters to US Congress to convey their grievances regarding thebrutalities in Palestine and Kashmir.
About the Afghan peace process, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the worldhas acknowledged and hailed the role of Pakistan for peace in Afghanistan.
Qureshi welcomed the Eid truce between the Taliban and the Afghangovernment, adding that the Intra-Afghan dialogue, which had started fromDoha, has been heading forward.
He said it was a positive step of the Taliban and the Afghan government toopt for no hostility during Eid days.
Qureshi said that Pakistan wished and tried for permanent and lasting peacein Afghanistan and that it was in the best interest of Pakistan.
“Peace would mean safe borders and would enable Afghan refugees living inPakistan to return to their country respectfully,” he said.
The foreign minister said that peace in Afghanistan would also impact thenational economy positively through regional connectivity.