ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday welcomed the additional provisional measures by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah in conformity with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and the worsening deteriorating humanitarian conditions faced by civilians.

In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan supports the application filed by South Africa before the ICJ against Israel under the 1948 Genocide Convention, in follow up to which the Court has announced additional provisional measures.

As required by the latest ruling of ICJ, she added that Israeli occupation authorities should keep the Rafah crossing open for unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance, and ensure unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip of any commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission or other investigative body mandated by the United Nations to investigate allegations of genocide.

“Pakistan demands immediate and unconditional implementation of the latest orders of the ICJ as well as the previous orders of 26 January and 28 March,” she said.

“We call on the UN Security Council to play its role in ending Israel’s ongoing brutal military campaign across Gaza; allowing unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance; taking effective measures to protect civilians in Gaza; and holding Israel accountable for its crimes,” she further stated.

She also stated that Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the inalienable right to self-determination of the Palestinians for a viable, secure, contiguous and sovereign State of Palestine on the basis of the pre-1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024