Dar says that UN peace in the Middle East depends on Palestinian self-determination

Pakistan reiterated its longstanding support for Palestinian rights and called for sustained diplomatic efforts towards a just solution to the Middle East conflict during a high-level UN Security Council briefing on the Palestinian issue on Wednesday.

Addressing the council in New York, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar emphasized Pakistan’s position that “there can be no lasting peace without justice, no stability without accountability and no sustainable solution without the realization of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.”

In remarks summarizing Islamabad’s position, the foreign minister said Pakistan remained “fully committed to diplomatic efforts aimed at a permanent cessation of hostilities and a just resolution of the conflict.”

Dar reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation of what it considers recent illegal measures by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and reaffirmed opposition to actions that change the territory’s status, characterizing them as violations of international law.

The minister highlighted Pakistan’s participation in diplomatic initiatives, including the Board of Peace, a US-backed forum aimed at promoting ceasefire implementation, reconstruction and political dialogue.

Separately, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry posted on X that Dar would reaffirm the country’s “principled and consistent position on Palestine” ahead of the meeting, stressing opposition to Israeli expansion of control in the West Bank and the need for scaled-up humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Pakistan has consistently supported a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state and has voted in favor of related UN Security Council resolutions, while maintaining that any lasting peace must be anchored in international law and respect for Palestinian rights.