QUAID-i-Azam on November 8, 1945 said: “The Muslims of India would not remain mere spectators. They would help the Arabs in Palestine by all possible means”. In fact, Pakistani nation has remained emotionally linked with the Palestinian nation and has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
The Pakistani nation is deeply distressed and angered by the recent tragic events involving the loss of innocent lives, including Palestinian brothers, sisters and children in Gaza Strip and the West Bank due to the actions of the Israeli forces. Pakistan’s leadership is strongly advocating for the intervention of the international community to halt this conflict which threatens to escalate further. They emphasize the urgency of preventing the continuation and potential expansion of this devastating war.
The country’s President Dr Arif Alvi strongly condemned the massacre of Palestinians at the hands of Israel and urged both the world community and Muslim Ummah to take urgent action to stop the Zionist State and end the blockade of Gaza. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar censured the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Enclave and demanded an immediate cessation of air raids and the lifting of the blockade to facilitate the delivery of essential relief items to the civilians. He stressed that “resolving the Palestine issue according to the aspirations of its people is essential for peace in the Middle East”, and reiterated Pakistan’s support for “a two-state solution”.
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani accused Israel for “committing genocide against the people of Palestine” as atrocities in Gaza continue to rage on the current situation as a consequence of “seven decades of illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories”. He insisted upon “the creation of a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, in line with UN resolutions…with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital”.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News on October 25, 2023, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram stated: “Palestinian survival is at stake…his country will continue to raise its voice against Israeli bombing of civilian targets in Gaza”—urged world powers to halt Israel’s “slaughter” in Gaza and ensure an immediate ceasefire to put an end to hostilities in the Middle East.
Munir Akram indicated that Pakistan was the first country which had raised its voice for three immediate actions at the UN Security Council by calling for a ceasefire, provision of humanitarian access and corridor in Gaza and a rejection of any Palestinian displacement either within the besieged territory or outside of it. He added: “This was in our first statement in the Security Council, and this position has now become the official position of the OIC and of the Arab group…Security Council was unable to broker a ceasefire due to Washington’s veto of a resolution”.
Besides, Islamabad also supported the UN General Assembly’s resolution on October 26, this year, calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli and Hamas in Gaza. Earlier, on 17 October 2023, in the Corps Commanders’ Conference presided over by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, the top military brass expressed deep concern about the adverse developments taking place in the Gaza-Israel conflict and the enormous human cost being imposed on innocent civilians due to the disproportionate use of force by Israel.
According to a statement issued by army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR): “The Conference extended “diplomatic, moral and political support of the Pakistani nation” to the principled stance of Palestinians”. The COAS stated: “We will continue supporting the principled stance of our brethren for enduring resolution of the Palestinian issue and end to the unlawful occupation of their territories and Muslims’ sacred places”.
Again, during his meeting with the Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan Ahmad Jawad Rabei on October 24, 2023, General Syed Asim Munir condemned Israel for ‘unabated violence’ in Gaza—“wilful, indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians by the Israeli Defence Forces in the war”, and called for immediate end to hostilities in Middle East, opening of humanitarian corridor to Gaza—urged international community to mobilize to put an end to ‘human tragedy’ unfolding in Palestine”, as said by ISPR.
Meanwhile, from time to time, thousands of Pakistanis have been marching across the streets of Pakistan, particularly Islamabad to show their heartfelt solidarity with the Palestinian people. They demanded for an end to the double standards observed by the international community. However, Pakistan’s commitment to the Palestinian cause is not merely rhetorical; it is among one of the few countries to have taken lead in view of the human tragedy unfolding in Gaza, and on October 19, 2023 dispatched the first consignment of relief aid to Palestinians. The assistance is being sent by the Pakistan army and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Recently, Islamabad dispatched another consignment of relief goods for the people in Gaza.
It is of particular attention that in the ever-evolving landscape of international relations, there are examples when nations are called upon to take principled stands, not just for self-interest, but for the broader cause of justice and humanity. In this connection, many Arab countries recognized the state of Israel and established diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv. But, Islamabad set aside the foreign pressure and refused to open Israeli embassy, as it has not recognized Israel. Nevertheless, all these developments and the events illustrated Pakistan’s determined support for Palestinian cause emphasizing the need for international intervention and a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict in line with UN resolutions and international law at a time when the whole western world stands with Tel Aviv.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
Email: sajjadshaukat7@gmail.com
views expressed are writer’s own.
