ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the ceasefire in Palestine was “inevitable” as the tide was turning and Israel was losing out due to mounting pressure of public opinion.
“I am convinced, the tide is turning. I am convinced the public pressure, the pressure of public opinion mounting and ceasefire is inevitable. Israel is losing out. They are losing the media war despite their connections,” the foreign minister said talking to CNN in New York.
He said the video clips shared by the citizen journalist showing Israeli violence had jolted the world prompting the people in London, Madrid, Michigan, Sydney, Chicago and capitals of European nations to demand an immediate end to that “insanity”.
“They are calling for an immediate ceasefire,” he said. FM Qureshi said the UN Security Council had failed to issue a consensus statement. The UN General Assembly gave a clear message to the UNSC that it was their prime responsibility to ensure peace and security.
He said the extremist elements would take advantage of the situation when there was no engagement or negotiation, and genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crime taking place.
He said the situation could only be avoided by pursuing the two-state solution by adhering to the UNSC resolutions. The peace between Palestine and Israel could be achieved only through the two-state solution by negotiations with ceasefire being the first step.
“This insanity must come to an end. We must promote dialogue. We must sit and talk and we must promote peace,” he stated.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said both Israelis and Palestinians had the right to live and to protect their children. He said 230 innocent people had been killed, more than 50,000 had been displaced, 50 schools had been bombed and hospitals, Red Cross and media offices had been targeted.
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To a question, the foreign minister explained that Israel had a lot of influence over media and received a lot of coverage. He said Pakistan had always been advocating for human rights, be it was Gaza or the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“Look at the atrocities that have been committed in Kashmir. Does the world talk about it? How many people have talked about it? Let’s be fair. Let’s have a fair assessment or how much coverage have that got,” he said.
Regarding the COVID-19, the foreign minister said under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s leadership, Pakistan had managed the first and second waves “reasonably well”.
Referring to the pandemic situation in India, he said Pakistan had offered help to the neighbouring country but they did not respond.
He said Pakistan was doing its best to bring the positivity down but the country needed vaccines, though China gifted it to the country and also bought it. However, the vaccine committed to Pakistan through COVAX did not come on time.
