ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in Islamabad from New York on Sunday after concluding a successful diplomatic and peace mission for Palestine.
Talking to media at the airport, the foreign minister felicitated the nation on successful accomplishment of peace mission and had forcefully presented the Palestine issue at the United Nations General Assembly session.
The foreign minister was also given a rapturous welcome on arrival at the airport as a large number of PTI members and activists received him.
Qureshi said that he achieved all the goals and accomplished the mission successfully for which he was sent by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He said that a ceasefire has been reached and expressed hope that it will pave the way to resolve the longstanding Palestine issue. He maintained that ceasefire and end of violence in Gaza were their top priorities.
During his visit to New York, the foreign minister attended UN General Assembly meeting on Palestine and held sideline meetings with his counterparts from other countries on the situation in Palestine. He also interacted with members of US Congress and with members of Pakistan community and media.
The foreign minister reached New York from Turkey along with his counterparts from Palestine, Turkey, and Tunisia. After arrival, he hosted a working dinner of the representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) countries for consultation and making collective efforts to halt Israeli provocation and aggression against innocent civilians in occupied Palestinian territories.
On May 20, he addressed the UNGA special session and expressed Pakistan’s deep anguish and strong outrage against Israel’s provocation against Al-Aqsa Mosque, indiscriminate disproportionate use of force by Israel against Palestinian civilians; human rights violations and illegal actions in contravention of international humanitarian law.
He urged the international community, in particular the UN Security Council, to halt Israeli aggression and mobilise all possible humanitarian help, including medical supplies, to deal with humanitarian situation in Gaza. He also urged the UN Secretary-General to immediately launch a comprehensive humanitarian assistance plan to help the Palestinians.
In his meeting with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the foreign minister expressed deep concern over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories caused by Israeli aggression.
He also briefed the UN chief on the serious human rights and humanitarian situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) including continued illegal incarceration of the Kashmiri political leaders and extrajudicial killings.
He urged the UN Secretary-General to use his good offices to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with the UN Charter and the relevant Security Council Resolutions. He also highlighted Pakistan’s constructive efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process.
