Pakistan has strongly advocated for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories during a session at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
According to a statement by Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan’s stance was presented orally before the ICJ in The Hague on Friday. The session focused on the “Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”
The Pakistani delegation, led by caretaker Federal Minister for Law and Justice Ahmed Irfan Aslam, emphasized the severe impediments faced by Palestinians in exercising their right to self-determination due to Israeli occupation.
The law minister condemned Israel’s illegal settlement policy, stating that it aims to create irreversible facts on the ground, perpetuate illegal occupation, and deny access to holy places in Jerusalem. He highlighted Israeli policies as systematic racial discrimination and apartheid against Palestinians, urging the ICJ to intervene.
The oral hearing coincided with a period of heightened conflict between Palestinians and Israeli forces. Despite this, Pakistan reaffirmed its unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, expressing support at various international forums, including the ICJ.
Pakistan reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire, provision of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and emphasized the need for a just and durable solution. This solution includes the establishment of a secure, sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
