No exchange of letters has occurred between Pakistan & India: FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch
ISLAMABAD, June 13 (SABAH): Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch says time has come to hold Israel accountable for its grave crimes, urging the global conscience to force Israel towards immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. She said that no exchange of letters has occurred between Pakistan and India, adding that Indian media always carryout reporting based on assumptions. She said that those who secured political asylum abroad have themselves surrendered Pakistani citizenship, adding that new policy regarding the matter is our internal matter and in this regard the instructions of any country will not be accepted. She said that the case of Pakistani-American Khadija Shah is pending with the court, adding that Pakistan will make the decision according to its laws.
At her weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said it is also critical to bring an end to the war on people of Palestine.
She said Pakistan also welcomes the report of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem and Israel.
The FO Spokesperson said the findings of the Commission of Inquiry have confirmed reports of the Israeli war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare, murder or willful killing, intentionally directing attacks against civilians, forcible transfer, torture and inhuman and cruel punishment.
Turning to situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan remembers the victims of the massacre at Chota Bazaar, Srinagar in 1991.
She said the 33rd anniversary of the massacre was observed on Tuesday last in which India’s Central Reserve Force personnel opened fire at civilians, resulted in killing of thirty-two civilians and injuring twenty-two others.
The Spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic, and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
Replying to a question, she said Pakistan and Afghanistan have been engaged to discuss all aspects of trade mechanism. She said the two have agreed to implement these arrangements to facilitate trade vehicles, drivers and helpers from both sides.
She said that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister visited Istanbul, Türkiye on 08 June 2024 to attend the Extraordinary Meeting of the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers held to discuss the “Situation in Gaza”.
The Deputy Prime Minister presented Pakistan’s stance on the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the urgency of an unconditional ceasefire, lifting of the siege and unimpeded flow of aid for the Palestinian people. He called for unified international efforts, especially by the D-8, to end the war being waged against the people of Gaza and the war crimes being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces.
On the sidelines, Deputy Prime Minister Dar met with the Foreign Ministers of Türkiye, Malaysia and the acting Foreign Minister of Iran. He also called on, along with the other participating Foreign Ministers of the D-8 countries, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar also attended the high-level conference “Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza” held on 10-11 June 2024 in Amman, Jordan. The conference was jointly organized at the initiative of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Excellency Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt and His Excellency António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that in his statement at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Dar condemned the illegal acts of the occupation authorities for violating international law, employing starvation as a tool of war, and targeting humanitarian supplies and infrastructure. He also criticized Israel for ignoring calls from the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the wider international community, and even its own allies to halt its aggression against the people of Gaza.
She said that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister called for a complete, durable, and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and an end to violence in the West Bank. He called for enhanced humanitarian aid to Gaza and support for UNRWA, advocating for the reversal of suspended donor support. He also advocated for an embargo on military supplies to Israel, demanded the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and suggested deploying an international force to protect Palestinian civilians.
FO spokesperson said that on the sidelines of the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Dar met with the President-elect of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto; the Foreign Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Utama Mohamad Hasan; and, the Minister of State of the UK, Lord Tariq Ahmad. He also met the Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres.