New York : Pakistan has called on UN member states to promote Palestinian self-determination and refuse to recognize any changes to the status of occupied territories. It urged the international community, especially the Security Council, to take concrete steps to halt Israel’s ongoing military campaign and support the Palestinian cause.
Pakistan further emphasized the urgency of implementing the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) Advisory Opinion delivered on July 19, 2024, which, among other things, highlighted the illegal nature of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and its practices that violate international law.
In a statement at the 10th Resumed Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly (ESS) on the Situation in Palestine today, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, called for immediate and decisive action to address the longstanding injustices faced by the Palestinian people.
While co-sponsoring the draft resolution (ES-10/L.31 Rev.1) presented by the State of Palestine to put the ICJ’s conclusions into effect, Ambassador Munir AKram highlighted the need for admitting the State of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations as well as convening the international conference on Palestine to advance the two-state solution.
“The tragic history of Palestine is a result of legal and political decisions imposed by colonial and imperial powers,” Ambassador Akram stated. He traced the roots of the Palestinian tragedy back to the Balfour Declaration, the creation of Israel, and the subsequent occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.
The Pakistan’s UN envoy recalled Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s warning in 1948 wherein he had stated that the creation of Israel would have “grave consequences” for the region—consequences that have tragically unfolded in the decades since.
Ambassador Akram highlighted the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people, including the brutal occupation of their lands, the unlawful incarceration of thousands, and the devastating siege of Gaza, which has resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths and nearly 100,000 injuries. He condemned the apartheid policies imposed in the occupied territories and the frequent violence inflicted on innocent civilians.
“Against this grim background, the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion marks a milestone of justice, an expression of equity and a flame of hope,” he remarked.
Ambassador Munir Akram said that the ICJ’s conclusions emphasize that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, and its attempts to prolong the occupation and its security policies, violate two basic principles of international law: one, the right of peoples to self-determination; and two, the principle of non-acquisition of territory by the use of force.
Ambassador Munir Akram stated that in light of the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion, the draft resolution demands that Israel:
• Immediately withdraw from occupied Palestinian territories.
• End its unlawful practices and policies.
• Make reparations for damages caused.
• Comply with international law.
• Ensure Palestinians can exercise their right to self-determination.
“Pakistan will continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people,” Ambassador Akram declared.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian struggle for freedom, rooted in its own history of achieving independence through self-determination.
Ambassador Akram concluded his statement with a hopeful message: “InshaaAllah, Palestine will soon be free.”
Editor: Kamran Raja