FM renews Pakistan's call for independent Palestinian state

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani Thursday renewed Pakistan's call for a viable, independent, and contiguous Palestinian State, with pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, Radio Pakistan reported.

The remarks come days after Caretaker Jilani confirmed that Pakistani officials have not met Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen recently.

The Israeli minister had claimed earlier to have met officials from Muslim nations with which Israel does not have formal relations. According to Cohen, six or seven Islamic nations will join the Abraham Accords once Saudi Arabia joins the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

Responding to a question at a news conference in Islamabad this afternoon, the foreign minister categorically stated that Pakistan's position on the issue of Palestine is consistent and there is no change in its stance over the matter.

He said may it be Palestine or Kashmir, Pakistan has always called for honouring people's right to self-determination.

Replying to another question, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan expects that the Afghan interim set-up will respect their commitment, made with the international community, to not allow the use of Afghan soil to carry out terrorist attacks against any country.

The Foreign Minister further responded that the Federal Cabinet has approved a policy to expel all illegal foreign nationals from Pakistan and that policy does not aim at targeting any particular country.

He, however, made it clear that this policy will not affect registered Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan.

To a question, Jalil Abbas Jilani said Pakistan's relations with Russia are improving and it has done nothing wrong by procuring oil or other things as many European and South Asian nations are also undertaking trade with Moscow.

Dispelling the impression of any slowdown in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Foreign Minister said CPEC is a transformational project for the country and there is no question of rolling it back.

Replying to a question regarding Indian involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada, Jalil Abbas Jilani said Pakistan has long been raising its voice against New Delhi's hand in assassination, espionage, and terrorist activities in South Asian countries and the world.

With regard to a question about human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Foreign Minister said peace in South Asia will remain obscure till the resolution of Kashmir issue as per the UN Security Council Resolutions.