Pakistan calls for restraint, international action amid Israel-Palestine conflict

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed grave concerns about the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine in the Middle East, calling for the exercise of maximum restraint and urging the international community to join forces for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The country’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict has remained consistent, advocating for a two-state solution as the key to achieving lasting peace in the region.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, emphasised the importance of a “just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question” based on international law and in accordance with United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resolutions.

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Pakistan’s official position is in favour of the establishment of a viable, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine, with borders based on pre-1967 lines and Jerusalem as its capital. This stance aligns with the international community’s efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict.

The statement issued by Pakistan called upon the international community to support immediate actions to halt hostilities, protect civilians, and work towards a lasting peace in the Middle East.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar expressed deep concern over the escalating situation in the Middle East and emphasized the need to address the “Palestine Question.” He called for restraint and protection of civilians, asserting that lasting peace in the Middle East hinges on a two-state solution with a viable and sovereign State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its heart.

President Dr. Arif Alvi also urged the international community to pursue a “long-standing peaceful resolution of the conflict in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and international law.” He stressed the importance of exercising maximum restraint to prevent further loss of life.

Leaders from various political parties in Pakistan have also voiced their concerns and support for the Palestinian people. Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) President Shehbaz Sharif emphasised that durable peace could only be achieved when Israel ends its “illegal occupation” of Palestinian land and called upon the international community to play a role in resolving the long-standing issue.

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Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed profound concern over the escalating situation and sought the international community’s intervention for lasting peace in the Middle East. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a two-state solution and called for an urgent halt to hostilities and the protection of civilians. PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, denouncing their oppression and brutality, and called on the international community to raise their voice in support of Palestine.

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) expressed its support for the Palestinian resistance fighters and saluted their efforts to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The party declared that the Muslim world stood by the Palestinians during this challenging time.