Chairman and CEO of Pakistan Observer, Mr Faisal Zahid Malik, called on Caretaker Foreign Minister, Mr Jalil Abbas Jilani at the Foreign Office .
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has condemned Israel for “committing a genocide” against Palestinians and said the grave situation stemmed from seven decades of illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories. He expressed these views in a meeting with Chairman and CEO of Pakistan Observer, Mr Faisal Zahid Malik who called on him at the Foreign Office.
The interim foreign minister said the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories could further escalate if the emergency steps were not taken to stop the Israeli aggression and provide food and other necessities to the people who have been forced to live under permanent siege.
“Any attempt to equate Israel, which is an aggressor, with the Palestinian struggle, is unacceptable for Pakistan,” he said adding Pakistan had always demanded that the Palestinian right to self-determination should be respected. He said an emergency and extraordinary meeting of the OIC Executive Committee would take place in Jeddah on October 18 to discuss the situation in Gaza.
To a question regarding provision of emergency humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, he said Pakistan was in touch with the international community and Muslim countries, but unfortunately, Israel has enforced a “complete siege of Gaza”. The member states would deliberate upon the coordinated response of OIC member countries on how to end violence perpetrated by Israel and provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
Pakistan is ready to provide humanitarian assistance and is in touch with the Egyptian authorities,” he added. About Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar’s visit to China on the invitation of President Xi Jinping to attend the 10-year celebrations of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), the Foreign Minister said China was Pakistan’s all-weather friend, the most trust ally and a strategic partner. This is an historic moment that both Pakistan and China and partner countries including Pakistan are celebrating the BRI which has turned out to be a game-changer project for the entire region promising peace, prosperity, progress and inclusiveness.
About the situation in Afghanistan, he urged the interim Afghan government to take “solid practical steps” against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying it was leading to a lot of bad blood between the two countries. Pakistan wants to see Afghanistan as a stable and prosperous country but then the presence of a large number of terrorist groups and other organizations which are based in Afghanistan are the main hurdle.
Mr Faisal Zahid Malik expressed his newspaper’s unequivocal support to Pakistan’s stance on Palestine and Kashmir.
Late Zahid Malik, the Founder Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Observer had always promoted and upheld Pakistan’s national interests extending full support to the people of Palestine as well as the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJ&K), he said.
