Pakistan cannot recognize Israel unless a just settlement of the Palestine issue is found: MoFA spokesperson

Pakistan Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary addressed a media briefing where he talked about recent developments including the prime minister’s visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan-India relations particularly with respect to Kashmir, and the issue of recognizing Israel. Commenting on the speculations regarding the recognition of Israel by Pakistan, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary strongly reiterated that there is no change in Pakistan`s principled position on the issue, and the recognition of Israel is not under consideration, as Pakistan believes that for just and lasting peace, it is imperative to have a two-state solution in accordance with the relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions, with the pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian State. He added, “the Prime Minister has made it clear that unless a just settlement of the Palestine issue, satisfactory to the Palestinian people, is found, Pakistan cannot recognize Israel.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary also shared details of PM Imran Khan’s maiden visit to Afghanistan at the invitation of President Ashraf Ghani. The day long visit was aimed at further deepening the fraternal ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Afghan peace process, regional economic development and connectivity. Zahid Hafeez informed that PM Imran Khan had wide-ranging talks with President Ghani to review efforts during the past two years to promote shared objectives of strengthening bilateral relations and achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. “The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support to a peaceful, stable, united, democratic, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan,” the spokesperson said. PM Imran Khan reiterated his long-standing view that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, and called on all sides for taking necessary measures for reduction in violence. According to Zahid Hafeez, the two sides also jointly issued a document titled “Shared Vision between Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Support Peace and Stability in Both Countries and the Wider Region.” The Shared Vision is aimed at advancing a forward-looking cooperative partnership between the two countries for political, economic and people-to-people exchanges. The MoFA representative also shared that Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi led Pakistan’s delegation at the 2020 Afghanistan Conference, co-hosted by Finland, Afghanistan and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) held virtually from Geneva, where addressing the Conference, he highlighted Pakistan’s contribution to help Afghanistan attain self-reliance. The Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan’s full support for Afghanistan’s endeavors for regional connectivity. Expanding on Country Strategy Dialogue (CSD) on Pakistan organized by The World Economic Forum (WEF) yesterday, Zahid Hafeez informed that Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Dialogue and participated in an interactive session with the President of the World Economic Forum and the Chairpersons and CEOs of leading global corporations and WEF partner companies. The second Country Strategy Dialogue by World Economic Forum within one year is recognition of Pakistan’s positive economic trajectory. Chaudhary also shared that Pakistan hosted the Inaugural Meeting of SAARC Planning Ministers on the theme of Shaping the SAARC Vision 2030. The Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (PD&SI), Mr. Asad Umar chaired the meeting. The Meeting was preceded by the SAARC Planning Secretaries’ Meeting, which was also hosted by Pakistan to lay the groundwork for the Ministerial Meeting. The MoFA spokesperson stated that the SAARC Planning Ministers and Secretaries meetings were a reaffirmation of Pakistan’s commitment to the SAARC process and its efforts to forge closer cooperation among Member States. Talking on Kashmir issue, the spokesperson shared that the inhuman military siege, communications blockade, media blackout and brutalization of innocent Kashmiris is still going on unabated in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) since 5th August 2019. He shared that in the month of November alone, Indian occupation forces have martyred 14 Kashmiris in staged encounters under the garb of so-called cordon and search operations. During the last one year, Indian occupation forces have extra-judicially killed more than three hundred innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, in fake encounters in complete violation of the fundamental precepts of international humanitarian law. Zahid Hafeez announced that Pakistan demands immediate and transparent judicial inquiry, under international scrutiny, into the extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris. A DW analysis, which claims that India shuts down internet more than any other country, concludes that shutdowns are strategically used to clamp down on dissent. India’s own Supreme Court has ruled that indefinite shutdowns are unconstitutional. Yet the IIOJK continues to face the longest shutdown in history. He informed that the Foreign Minister, as part of Pakistan’s consistent efforts to keep the UN Security Council and the Secretary General informed of the serious situation in IIOJK, and to demand resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, has addressed another letter to the President of the United Nations Security Council and the Secretary General, updating them on the grave situation in IIOJK. Zahid Chaudhary mentioned that the international community including the leading experts and human rights activists continues to raise its voice against genocidal violence and egregious human rights violations in IIOJK. He quoted Dr. Gregory Stanton, the founder-president of ‘Genocide Watch’, as saying, “preparation for a genocide is definitely underway in India.” Explaining the systematic targeting of Muslim, Dr. Stanton has stated that, “the persecution of Muslims in Assam and Kashmir is the stage just before a genocide. The next stage is extermination – that’s what we call a genocide”. On behalf of Pakistan, Zahid Hafiz Chaudhary condemned the heart-rending incident of a Muslim girl burnt alive in Bihar, India by right-wing Hindus. “The horrific incident underscores the intensifying marginalization of minorities in India, especially Muslims, as a result of the extremist Hindutva ideology of the present RSS inspired Indian Government. Such episodes reveal the fiction of India being a so-called ‘secular democracy’ when it is in fact a majoritarian state, where minorities feel increasingly threatened,” Chaudhary said. According to the spokesperson, Pakistan has presented a Dossier, providing irrefutable evidence of India’s active planning, promoting, aiding, abetting, financing, and execution of terrorist activities in Pakistan. The dossier also presents evidence of India’s training and harboring of Pakistan-centric terrorist entities for perpetuating terrorism and instigating instability in Pakistan. “The document highlights India’s money laundering and terrorist financing aimed at instigating direct and indirect anti-state activities inside Pakistan through sub nationalist entities including India’s attempts at trying to undermine, delay, and disrupt the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The evidence details how Indian Embassies and Consulates act as epicenters of state sponsored terrorism against Pakistan including their status as hubs of terrorist training and financing activities. To expose Indian state sponsorship of terrorism, Pakistan continues to share the incriminating evidence against India with the international community,” the MoFA representative stated. He added that Pakistan has already shared the Dossier with the five permanent members of the UNSC, EU and the United Nations Secretary General. Pakistan calls upon the UN counter-terrorism bodies to proceed on the basis of evidence provided by Pakistan and urge India to renounce use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism it has established to inflict terrorism on Pakistan, and stop the use of other countries’ soil for its terrorist activities directed against Pakistan. Following the presentation of Dossier by Pakistan, India has stepped up its anti-propaganda Pakistan, using the oft-repeated bogey of ‘cross-border’ terrorism. As part of its despicable efforts, India has recently attempted to implicate Pakistan in some alleged planned attack in Nagrota in IIOJK. Pakistan categorically rejects the completely groundless allegations by the Prime Minister of India and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in this regard. Pakistan views these entirely baseless and unsubstantiated Indian allegations as part of India’s desperate attempts to divert international attention from its state-terrorism in IIOJK and its state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan. Responding to the gratuitous remarks made by the Indian External Affairs Minister on social media yesterday, Zahid Hafeez said that masquerading as a victim of terrorism is part of India’s desperate attempts to malign Pakistan and to divert international attention from its state-terrorism in IIOJK and its state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan. The Indian side would be well advised to drop its act of victimhood, eschew the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy. As a country that has suffered the most as a result of Indian sponsorship of terrorism, Pakistan will continue to expose India’s propaganda. “To divert world attention from its wrong doings at home and abroad, India continues to escalate tensions along the Line of Control,” he added. The unprovoked ceasefire violations by India, targeting innocent civilians are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct. This year alone, India has committed more than 2840 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 27 shahadats and serious injuries to 245 innocent civilians. Pakistan calls upon India to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, investigate such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. Pakistan also urges India to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.