Dar for international protection mechanism for Palestinians

UNITED NATIONS: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday called for “deployment of an international protection mechanism for Palestinians” and said, “This is a defining moment for the Middle East and the Muslim world.”

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In this connection, Dar suggested “implementation of the Arab and OIC-led reconstruction plan for Gaza, which represents a vital framework for post-conflict recovery and rehabilitation, sustainable development, and the restoration of dignity for the Palestinian people”.

He was addressing a meeting of OIC Committee of Six on Palestine which comprises Pakistan, Senegal, Guinea, Malaysia, the State of Palestine and the OIC General Secretariat.

Dar, who is also Pakistan’s foreign minister, presented a nine-point roadmap to address the unending plight of the Palestinian people.

“The momentum generated by the High-Level International Conference on Implementation of the Two-State Solution must be sustained,” he said the OIC must press for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire by Israel.

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NO SETTLEMENTS, NO ANNEXATION

Other points shared by the deputy minister included provision of sustained and secured humanitarian access to all civilians in need.

He also raised the importance of “an end to forced displacement, illegal settlement expansion and annexation of Palestinian land” as well as “restitution of lands, properties, and cultural assets seized since 1967”.

WAR CRIMES

While stressing the need for accepting “the right of return for displaced Palestinians”, Dar said there should be an “accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the occupation forces as well as reparations for damages inflicted on Palestinian persons and property”.

The ultimate goal of all the suggestions, he said, was “the realization of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination through an independent, sovereign State of Palestine on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital”.