PAKISTAN on Monday emphasized the need to resolve the conflicts over Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine by allowing their peoples to exercise the UN-promised right to self-determination. Speaking at a special meeting of the OIC Ambassadors at UN, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reminded the world body that principles of self-determination and the non-acquisition of territory through the use or threat of force are fundamental to maintaining world order, adding respect for these principles is critical to achieving just solutions for both Palestine and the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
The meeting took place in the backdrop of efforts being made by the Muslim world to coordinate its policies and actions in the face of some alarming developments, especially sinister plan of the United States to occupy Palestinian land and threats being hurled by Israeli Prime Minister to open ‘gates of hell’ in Gaza if all hostages were not released as planned. Dar deserves credit for not only highlighting Pakistan’s principled position on the two burning issues of the Muslim Ummah but also undertaking an urgent consultative process that led to the decision to convene an emergent meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers to discuss latest developments vis-à-vis Gaza. He telephonically spoke to his counterparts of several Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Iran, Malaysia and Egypt and continued his campaign during his stay in New York. The UN surely has to play a role as it is the mandate of the world body to take steps to safeguard global peace and security, protect human rights and settle international disputes peacefully. There is no denying the fact that the UN has adopted a number of resolutions expressing support for the legitimate rights of Palestinians and Kashmiris but regrettably these resolutions remain unimplemented due to lack of interest on the part of the influential, especially veto wielding countries. Dar has done well by reminding the UN of its responsibility but mere rhetoric will not work and the Muslim world will have to coordinate and harmonize its policies and actions to sensitize the world body and the international community about the urgency to resolve these issues peacefully and bring an end to atrocities against Palestinians and Kashmiris. We also hope that the OIC will not be influenced by the pressure tactics being applied by Washington and Tel Aviv in respect of Gaza aimed at sidelining Hamas.
