Pakistan has unequivocally condemned the Israeli parliament’s unlawful attempt to assert sovereignty over the Occupied West Bank. In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said this deplorable act constitutes a grave violation of international law and reflects Israel’s persistent disregard for Palestinian rights and established international norms. He said such deliberate and provocative actions highlight the occupying power’s systematic attempts to undermine efforts for peace and entrench its illegal occupation.

These unilateral measures represent a dangerous escalation that jeopardizes regional stability and prospects for a just and lasting settlement. The spokesperson called upon the international community to take swift and decisive action to hold Israel accountable for its violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions and international humanitarian law. These measures will neither be recognized nor alter the internationally acknowledged status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 

The spokesperson reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering commitment to the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination. He said we steadfastly advocate for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and viable Palestinian state based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.

Meanwhile, The Senate strongly condemned the recent decision of the Israeli Parliament to approve a resolution asserting so-called Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, saying it is brazen violation of international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions and the Geneva Conventions.

 The resolution moved by Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan said Israeli Parliament's resolution is illegal, illegitimate, and null and void under international law. It recalled the West Bank is internationally recognized as occupied territory and that any unilateral annexation or claim of sovereignty is a clear affront to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The resolution affirmed Pakistan's unwavering support for the just cause of Palestine and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, in line with the relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. It recognized that such actions by the occupying Israeli government gravely endanger peace and stability in the region and expose the expansionist and apartheid agenda of the Israeli regime. 

The house demanded the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to take immediate and concrete action to halt Israeli expansionism and protect the rights of the Palestinian people. It called upon government to intensify diplomatic efforts in collaboration with OIC and like-minded nations to resist and reverse such unlawful attempts.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)