ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Friday strongly condemned the Israeli army’s atrocities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including attacks on hospitals, terming them gross violations of human rights.
The Foreign Office spokesperson, Shafqat Ali Khan, during his weekly press briefing, said the bombing of the Baptist Hospital in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces is part of a pattern of targeting medical facilities.
“That it occurred on Palm Sunday, a sacred occasion for Christians, underscores Israel’s blatant disregard for religious sanctity and civilian lives,” he said.
He demanded an immediate end to Israel’s ongoing atrocities, which have resulted in the indiscriminate killing of innocent and unarmed Palestinians, including women and children, and the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure.
He said Israel’s relentless assaults have crippled Gaza’s healthcare system, depriving critically ill patients of vital medical care. Coupled with the blockade on humanitarian aid, these actions reflect a deliberate strategy to prolong suffering and entrench conflict.
“Pakistan calls for an immediate halt to the hostilities by Israeli occupying forces and reiterates its support for the two-State solution, with a viable, independent and sovereign State of Palestine on pre-June 1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital,” he stated.
He called upon the international community to take decisive action to hold Israel accountable and protect Palestinian civilians from further violence.
Pakistan rejects India’s claims on Kashmir
The Foreign Office Spokesperson strongly rejected Indian claims made by its Ministry of External Affairs, reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed region.
“India’s arbitrary designation of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as its so-called Union Territory is null and void,” he noted.
He went on to say Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory whose final status is to be determined in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
He added that rather than making baseless claims, India should vacate the large territories of Jammu and Kashmir under its forcible occupation for the last 77 years.
“It is lamentable that the Indian leadership at different levels continues to invoke Pakistan in their public discourse. We also take strong exception to the Indian leaders’ continued diatribe in the context of terrorism,” said the official.
He said India’s false narrative of victimhood cannot divert international attention from its own dismal human rights record and its involvement in terrorism and targeted assassinations in foreign territories.
Afghanistan
The Spokesperson to a question, said that the upcoming visit of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to Afghanistan is part of Islamabad’s efforts to develop good, positive relations with Kabul.
“We want good, friendly neighbourly relations as it should be,” he said. He termed the visit as very important and significant.
China
The Foreign Office Spokesperson to a question, said China is our strategic partner, an all-weather friend, it’s a decades-old strategic partnership between the two neighboring countries which is characterised by strong trust, mutual respect, and is based on the UN charter principles.
US ties
Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan is interacting with the US government as the Deputy Prime Minister had two high-level telephone exchanges with the US National Security Adviser and Secretary of State,” he added.
“We look forward to further strengthening of Pakistan-US relations, which are decades old, and strengthened by the presence of a large Pakistani diaspora, which has done so well there,” the official said.
Bodies of Eight Pakistanis Killed in Iran Repatriated
The FO confirmed that the bodies of eight Pakistani citizens killed in Iran were returned to Bahawalpur. The repatriation process was closely monitored by Pakistani diplomats, and gratitude was expressed to Iranian authorities for their cooperation.
