- Pakistan joins 8 Arab, Islamic states to uphold international law, ceasefire.
- Full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 is critical to ending hostilities.
- Supports Palestinian self-determination, Gaza recovery, peace council.
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that Pakistan supports US-led efforts, including US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ initiative, to promote a ceasefire and peace process in Gaza.
“Pakistan, as part of the Group of Eight Arab Islamic countries, has joined the ‘Peace Council’ in support of its mandate as endorsed by Resolution 2803,” Dar said, addressing the high-level forum.
Confirming Pakistan’s participation in tomorrow’s opening meeting, he said the country is engaging “with the firm belief that sustained diplomacy anchored in international law … provides the only viable path to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the US to attend the ‘Board of Peace’ meeting as Pakistan seeks clarity on the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) for the war-torn enclave.
The Prime Minister will attend the meeting on 19 February in Washington, where delegations from at least 20 countries are expected. DPM Dar will also attend the session.
Addressing the UN session, Dar further said: “We meet today at a critical juncture. An intensified diplomatic effort is underway to consolidate the ceasefire, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians and advance the implementation of the comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, which is endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2803.”
He criticized Israel’s “continued ceasefire violations, annexation attempts and illegal actions across the Occupied Palestinian Territories” and said these measures “undermine efforts and threaten the prospects for a just and lasting peace.”
“Pakistan remains fully engaged in diplomatic efforts aimed at a permanent cessation of hostilities and a just resolution of the conflict,” the DPM said, adding, “We appreciate peace efforts led by President Trump.”
He noted that Pakistan was working closely as part of the Group of Eight Arab and Islamic countries – Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan.
On Israeli actions in the West Bank, Dar said: “We confirmed that these illegal measures are invalid and constitute a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law.”
He added: “Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza have resulted in the killing and injury of more than a thousand Palestinians.”
Emphasizing the importance of an enabling environment for peace, he said: “Actions that change facts on the ground and prejudge final status issues are profoundly counterproductive.”
Dar said Pakistan supports “full and faithful implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803,” including “permanent cessation of hostilities” and “secure, sustained and unhindered humanitarian assistance at the right scale.”
He added that reconstruction “must begin without delay and without annexation, forced displacement or alteration of the territorial unity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory” and called for a “credible, irreversible and time-bound political horizon leading to a Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy.”
“Pakistan’s solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters and their just cause remains unwavering,” he added.
“We stand with them in their legitimate pursuit of the right to self-determination, dignity and freedom. Pakistan is ready and willing to contribute to all diplomatic initiatives, including President Trump’s peace plan.”
