The prime minister, who spoke at length on the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza called it the “most heart-wrenching tragedies of our times” a stain on the global conscience, and a collective moral failure.
“In the West Bank, each passing day brings new brutality, illegal settlers who terrorize and kill with impunity and nobody can challenge them and question them. And in Gaza, Israel’s genocidal onslaught has unleashed unspeakable terror upon women and children in a manner we have not witnessed in the annals of history,” he said, underscoring that the Israeli leadership had unleashed a “shameful” campaign against the innocent Palestinians, which history would always remember as one of its darkest chapters.
“But speak we must,” he urged and condemned the killing of young girl Hind Rajab in an Israeli attack. Likening her to a daughter, he expressed shared global grief for failing her, drawing parallels to his anguish over carrying the coffin of seven-year-old Irtaza Abbas, killed in a recent India-Pakistan clash.
“Can you imagine that little girl—Hind Rajab—as if she were your daughter? … My agony, and the agony of the entire Muslim Ummah, indeed, I think the agony of all nations on the planet is that we failed Hind Rajab and she will not forgive us in this world and the world hereafter… We cannot – we must not, fail these children of Gaza, or any child anywhere—we must find a path to a ceasefire.”
Reiterating Pakistan’s support for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, with pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, he said Palestine must be liberated as it could no longer remain under Israeli shackles.
Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed the recognition of the State of Palestine by a number of countries recently and urged others to also follow suit, besides thanking President Trump for inviting Arab-Islamic states for a consultative session at the United Nations, which rekindled hope for a ceasefire in the near future.
Calling Israel’s recent attack on Doha a reflection of “rogue” behavior, the prime minister told the world leaders that Pakistan also supported all efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict, in line with the UN Charter, to end human suffering, and global turmoil, caused by the protracted war.
TERRORISM
He said that Pakistan condemned terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations as the country had been at the frontline of global counter-terrorism efforts – having suffered over 90,000 casualties and endured over US$150 billion in economic losses.
He said that terrorism could impact the world regardless of boundaries.
“For that Pakistan’s sacrifices are probably the biggest around the globe. It must be respected and appreciated because we are a bulwark. Had these terrorists not been encountered by us, they would have been roaming in the streets of New York and London and Far East. This is our humble contribution not only for the people of Pakistan but also the people all over the world,” he added.
“Today, we face externally sponsored terrorism, particularly from foreign-funded groups, such as the TTP, Fitna al-Khawarij, Fitna al-Hindustan, BLA and its Majeed Brigade. Operating from Afghan soil, these groups are responsible for some of the most heinous attacks inside Pakistan, including the dastardly Jaffar Express incident, earlier this year,” he highlighted.
He said that as Afghanistan’s neighbor, Pakistan sought regional stability and connectivity and also engaged with partners to provide humanitarian aid, support economic recovery, and promote an inclusive political framework in Afghanistan. However, the Interim Afghan Government must uphold human rights, including women’s rights, and ensure Afghan soil was not used for terrorism against any nation, he added.
HATE SPEECH & ISLAMOPHOBIA
Prime Minister Shehbaz also touched on the challenges of hate speech, discrimination or violence against any person, or religion, and said the hate-driven ideologies, like India’s Hindutva-driven extremism, posed a danger to the entire world.
“While there is growing recognition of the dangers posed by Islamophobia, the imperative of effectively combating this menace can hardly be overemphasized,” he remarked and welcomed the appointment of a UN Special Envoy to combat this scourge.
