PM lauds Ireland for recognising Palestine state

Shehbaz welcomes ICJ on petition filed against genocide in Gaza

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday praised the government of Ireland’s recent decision to recognise Palestine as an independent state.

The prime minister, during a telephonic conversation with his Irish counterpart Simon Harris, felicitated him on his assumption of office and remarked that his youth and dynamism would bring major changes in Ireland.

He said Ireland’s decision would send a message of hope and solidarity to the innocent Palestinians who were suffering Israel’s brutal atrocities. "It would also go a long way in promoting the Palestine cause and would urge other countries to follow Ireland."

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He reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to the just struggle of the Palestinian people and lauded the decision of the International Court of Justice to order Israel to stop its assault on Gaza and Rafah.

He also expressed the hope that the oppressed people of Kashmir would receive similar attention from the international community, as they too had been enduring a brutal occupation and denial of fundamental human rights for the last seven decades.

Prime Minister Simon Harris said that Ireland had taken a principled decision in consultation with other European allies because the extent of Israel’s military action in Gaza could no longer be condoned in any way. The Ireland felt that the decision was necessary to promote normalization in the occupied territories.

Meanwhile, the prime minister welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on a petition filed against genocide in Palestine. The prime minister paid tributes to the courage of the 13 ICJ judges who made the decision and thanked South Africa for filing the petition.