Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during his address at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in Cameroon, according to a statement from Pakistan’s foreign office on Friday.
Qazi led the Pakistani delegation at the two-day OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting held on 29-30 August, where he drew attention to the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as global conflicts exacerbated by endemic poverty, terrorist and extremist groups, and external interventions.
Pakistan’s top diplomat emphasised that the raison d’être of the OIC demanded “determined action” in response to Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian people and the violations against Islam’s most sacred sites and symbols. He pointed out that the conflict in Gaza had resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians and the displacement of nearly 2 million others.
“We must urgently secure an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank, ensure unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza, prevent the spread of the conflict across the entire Middle East, and hold Israel accountable for its criminal assassinations and violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran, Lebanon, and other states,” Qazi was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s foreign office.
Pakistan does not recognise Israel nor maintain diplomatic relations with the state, and continues to advocate for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the onset of Israel’s war on Gaza in October last year, Pakistan has consistently raised the issue at the United Nations, urging international powers and multilateral organisations to halt Israeli military actions. The South Asian nation has also dispatched several aid consignments to assist the Palestinians.
The two-day event was held in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, where Pakistan’s top diplomat also addressed challenges facing the Muslim world, including the rise of Islamophobia.
He stated that Islamophobia had emerged as a global crisis, characterised by the frequent desecration of the Holy Qur’an, attacks on mosques, and the stereotyping, discrimination, and violence against Muslims.
“We must work within the OIC, including through the OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Islamophobia, to engage with the United Nations in developing an Action Plan to Combat Islamophobia,” Qazi urged.
