UNITED NATIONS: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to move beyond words and take urgent action to resolve the worsening crisis in the Gaza Strip, while also welcoming the growing number of countries recognising a Palestinian state.
Dar is accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the high-level segment of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York, where Pakistan is drawing global attention to what it calls the “grave crisis” in Gaza and calling for “decisive action” to end Palestinian suffering.
Addressing a UNSC meeting on the Middle East, the foreign minister said: “Gaza has become a graveyard for humanity and the global conscience. We call upon the Security Council and the broader international community to act decisively, to uphold human dignity, ensure accountability and deliver justice. The time for words has passed — the time for action is now.”
Highlighting the devastation in Gaza, Dar said the humanitarian situation had reached “catastrophic proportions,” with famine spreading and thousands of civilians killed while survivors faced starvation.
He welcomed France’s initiative for a summit on the two-state solution, co-sponsored by Saudi Arabia, and commended recent moves by more UN members to recognise Palestine, saying such steps reflect “justice and adherence to international law.”
Earlier, Dar also addressed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Committee of Six on Palestine, where he reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering” support for the Palestinian cause. Calling it a “defining moment” for the Muslim world, he urged the OIC to push for a permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid, an end to illegal settlements, accountability for war crimes, and Gaza’s reconstruction under the Arab-OIC framework.
