ISLAMABAD:
As Israel bombards Gaza with artillery and airstrikes in a conflict that has now claimed more than 120 Palestinian lives, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday contacted his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss the grave situation in the middle eastern region.
FM Qureshi expressed Pakistan’s serious concerns on the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and grave human rights violations. He condemned the continued attacks by the Israeli defence forces against the Palestinians, in particular innocent civilians and children, adding that the Israeli acts defied all norms of humanity and international law.
He recalled the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia joint statement issued during the recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the kingdom, on 8 May, which included the two countries’ shared perspective on the Palestinian issue.
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The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right to self-determination and establishment of their independent state with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab peace initiative and relevant UN resolutions.
The Saudi foreign minister expressed concerns at the serious developments in Palestine and briefed FM Qureshi regarding the initiatives being taken to address the situation.
Qureshi welcomed the initiative of Saudi Arabia to convene an emergency meeting of the OIC’s Executive Committee at the foreign ministers level on May 16, 2021.
The foreign minister assured the Saudi foreign minister of Pakistan’s unequivocal support for the just cause of Palestine.
Expressing gratitude for the warm Saudi hospitality during the premier’s recently concluded visit, FM Qureshi apprised his counterpart of the post-visit telephone call between PM Imran and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, during which the two leaders also conferred on the serious situation in Palestine and the need for urgent steps to address it.
The two foreign ministers agreed to continue close consultations and coordination on the evolving situation in Palestine.
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