PTV anchor terminated over Israel visit: Marriyum

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Monday that an anchor of the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), who was part of the overseas Pakistanis’ delegation that visited Israel earlier this month, has been dismissed from his position.

In a statement issued on PTV’s official Twitter handle, Aurangzeb said that the anchor had visited Israel in his personal capacity, stressing that there has been no change in Pakistan’s policy towards Israel.

“Pakistan’s state policy on the issue of Palestine is clear and based on the statements of Quaid-e-Azam,” she said.

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The minister noted that the government will not take any action that is against the wishes and aspirations of the people of Pakistan.

“Pakistan is firmly committed to its traditional and principled position on the Palestine-Israel conflict.

“The Foreign Ministry has made it clear that no delegation from Pakistan has visited Israel,” she said, adding that the visit in question was arranged by a private NGO which is based outside Pakistan.

Marriyum said that Pakistan fully supports the Palestinian people’s right to a referendum in accordance with UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, and considers a two-state solution to be a guarantee of lasting peace in the region.

She added that the promise of a pre-1967 Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital should be fulfilled.

The development comes after Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Asim Iftikhar categorically rejected the notion of any delegation from Pakistan visiting Israel.

Foreign Office rejects notion of any Pakistani delegation visiting Israel

Responding to media queries on Sunday, he said that the visit in question was organised by a foreign NGO which was not based in Pakistan.

“Pakistan’s position on the Palestinian issue is clear and unambiguous. There is no change whatsoever in our policy on which there is a complete national consensus,” the spokesperson said.

He said that Pakistan steadfastly supported the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination.

“The establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with the relevant UN and OIC resolutions, is imperative for just and lasting peace in the region,” he added.

Earlier, Israel President Isaac Hergoz said that he met a delegation of overseas Pakistanis during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.