ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar while strongly condemning assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh cautioned to the Muslim world, saying “make no mistake, if today it’s Iran, tomorrow it could be another OIC country facing similar act of international terrorism, extraterrestrial killing on its soil and cold-blooded violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Dar participated in the Open-Ended Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
The meeting was convened at the request of the State of Palestine and Iran to discuss Israeli aggression against Palestine in Gaza and other regional countries.
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In his statement, Dar strongly condemned the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people and expressed grave concern on the growing Israeli adventurism in the Middle East. He said that the tragic assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, where he was a guest, has surely escalated the tension. He added that no words are enough to condemn this horrendous act, adding that potential consequences of this are grave and catastrophic.
“Make no mistake, if today it is Iran, tomorrow it could be another OIC country facing a similar act of intentional terrorism, extraterrestrial killing on its soil, and/ or cold-blooded violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he cautioned.
He added that what Israel is doing with unprecedented and undeniable barbarity, is more than just adventurism, it is pure madness and it is akin to knowingly and deliberately throwing a light at a powder keg.
“We fully understand the determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Palestinian people to respond to and avenge the provocative and criminal assassinations by Israel and the flagrant violation of international law,” the Foreign Ministry added.
He called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza; provision of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people; de-escalation of tensions in the region and accountability for the war crimes committed by the occupation authorities.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support for the inalienable right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for the creation of a secure, viable, contiguous, and sovereign state of Palestine based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024