NEW YORK: Pakistan informed the UN Security Council that the diplomatic initiatives of United States President Donald J. Trump with Arab states represent a “rare opportunity” to safeguard the dignity of the Palestinians, while at the same time condemning the Israeli E-1 settlement plan as capitalism of the two-state solution and a clear violation of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2334.
Addressing the Security Council meeting, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, pointed out that carrying out the E-1 plan would either leave no room for a two-state solution or waste a historic peace opportunity and said the Council’s reaction would be a matter of history recorded by it.
The Ambassador to Pakistan described the Gaza humanitarian crisis as one of the most horrendous tragedies of the modern era, stating that 66,000 Palestinians had been killed, in which women and children formed the majority, and that millions were close to being displaced. He acknowledged President Trump’s approach to the Arab world and the OIC as a positive step and reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to hold consultations with them.
While emphasizing that the roadmap must be based on the Palestinians’ own initiative and be consistent with UN resolutions and international law, the Pakistani envoy emphasized the necessity of a total, immediate, and sustained stop to the fighting in Gaza, an end to the siege, and the free delivery of humanitarian aid. He also issued the following demands: immediate release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, stop forced expulsions and land grabs, and the start of a political process that is irreversible, based on the two‑state framework.
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Ambassador Asim declared that if the UN and the Security Council fail to enforce their resolutions, the entire multilateral system’s credibility will be at stake. He confirmed again Pakistan’s total support for the Palestinian people.
