Pakistan's deputy PM calls for end to Israeli occupation at international summit; PM meets Gates Foundation, world leaders at UN General Assembly.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories at a high-level international meeting convened by France, the UK, and Canada. The summit, attended by dozens of world leaders and titled “The Road Ahead,” focused on implementing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- ▪Dar emphasized that ending occupation and achieving Palestinian self-determination must be the convergence point for all peace efforts.
- ▪Pakistan reiterated its support for an independent Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.
- ▪UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the two-state solution risks collapse due to Israeli settlement expansion and annexation.
- ▪Dar highlighted ceasefire violations, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, and illegal settlements as matters of grave concern demanding immediate action.
- ▪Pakistan endorsed the September 2025 New York Declaration and was part of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic nations backing a Gaza peace plan.
- ▪A US-backed ceasefire deal struck in October 2025 has stalled; Israeli forces remain in Gaza after the country rejected a plan requiring Hamas weapons surrender.
- ▪Separately, PM Shehbaz met Bill Gates to discuss polio eradication and expanded collaboration on public health, agriculture, and digital innovation.
- ▪Pakistan and Afghanistan are the world’s only two countries where polio remains endemic; week-long vaccination campaigns launched Monday across multiple provinces.
- ▪PM Shehbaz held bilateral meetings with leaders from Kuwait, Kenya, Austria, Somalia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina during the UN General Assembly.
- ▪Foreign Minister Dar also met counterparts from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Austria, Japan, Kuwait, and Libya on the summit sidelines.
Source: according to media reports
COMMENTS