Both Pakistan and Iran on Tuesday called for a conducive environment for the creation of an independent state of Palestine ‘on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital’, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing a joint presser in Islamabad along with his Iranian counterpart Sayyid Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar said that Israel’s attack on Iran was a gross violation of the country’s sovereignty.
The foreign minister said that Israel was involved in the genocide of unarmed Palestinians. “I had a detailed discussion with my Iranian counterpart on the situation in the Middle East,” he said, adding, “We both condemned the Jewish state’s aggression against Palestine, Lebanon as well as Iran.”
The purpose of Israel’s aggression, Dar went on to say, was to prolong its occupation of Palestine.
The foreign minister informed that both he and Iran’s FM also discussed the prospects for enhancing cooperation in trade, energy sectors besides together taking steps to beef up border security.
Similarly, he said both countries had also concurred that terrorism posed a major challenge to the peace and stability of the region and pledged to make coordinated efforts for its eradication.
Speaking on the occasion, Iran’s Foreign Minister said his country denounced Israel’s aggression in Gaza and Lebanon.
He said that although, unlike Israel, Iran did not want the war to escalate, still the country would respond to the Jewish state’s attack ‘at a proper time in a very measure and well-calculated manner’.
He stressed the need for the resolution of the Palestine issue as per the United Nations resolutions.
Ishaq Dar said Israeli actions are in violation of international law and the UN Charter and contribute to the root cause of all tensions in the Middle East. He reiterated Pakistan's call for establishing a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of Pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Ishaq Dar said we reject the propensity by occupying powers to equate the right to self-determination with terrorism, which, he said, is nothing, but a ploy to prolong their occupation and apartheid policies.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the longstanding Palestinian and Jammu and Kashmir issues must be addressed through peaceful means by fully respecting the rights and aspirations of the affected populations in line with the relevant UN resolutions and the Charter.
Ishaq Dar said during the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister, they also discussed ways and means to enhance cooperation across several key areas including trade, energy and border security.
He said the two sides have agreed to intensify collaboration on border management and address shared challenges.
The Foreign Minister said they have underscored that terrorism and extremism pose a serious threat to the regional peace and pledged to coordinate joint efforts to eradicate these challenges.
In his remarks on the occasion, the Iranian Foreign Minister appreciated Pakistan's strong and clear stance in condemning the Israeli aggression against Iran.
The Iranian Foreign Minister said his country does not seek escalation. However, he said we reserve our right to legitimize defence under the UN Charter.
The Iranian Foreign Minister reiterated the commitment to further strengthen the brotherly relations with Pakistan in all areas including economy, trade, politics and culture.