ISTANBUL: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday expressed concern at the rising tensions in the Middle East and said that Iran has the full right to defend itself.
Addressing the 51st session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers regarding Israeli aggression against Iran, Foreign Minister Dar said that Pakistan strongly condemns Israel’s aggression against Iran, calling Israeli actions a serious violation of international law.
He stated that Israeli aggression poses a threat to global peace and that Pakistan fully supports Iran’s right to self-defense under the UN Charter. He criticised the double standards applied to Israel and emphasised that peace in the region must not be compromised.
Ishaq Dar to represent Pakistan at 51st OIC FMs session in Türkiye
Dar said that dialogue is the only viable solution to the conflict between Iran and Israel. Pakistan is taking all necessary steps for regional peace and stability and will continue to play its role in promoting peace.
Condemning the ongoing Israeli aggression against the sovereignty of Iran, the foreign minister called for accountability of Israel’s unjustified and illegitimate actions. He said that Pakistan condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s unjustified and illegitimate aggression against the Islamic republic. “We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Iran and offer condolences on the loss of numerous lives as a result of targeting of the civilian areas by Israel.”
He said that Israeli aggression had taken place at a time when the IAEA was continuing its verification process; thus, Israel violated international laws and several IAEA statutes and resolutions by attacking the IAEA safeguarded facilities. These attacks risked setting a dangerous precedent and posed a grave threat to the safety of populations in the region and around the globe, he said, adding “Pakistan fully supports Iran’s inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, in response to the blatant and unprovoked Israeli aggression.
“Israeli aggression against Iran is not an isolated event. It is part of a dangerous and consistent pattern of militarism that Israel has demonstrated across the Middle East,” Dar observed. Israeli aggression represented a dangerous escalation and was a serious threat to peace and stability, not only of the region, but the wider world as well, he added.
Dar said as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, at Iran’s request, Pakistan fully supported convening an urgent meeting of the council last week to discuss Israeli aggression and called on the council to urgently take action to end Israeli aggression.
“But unfortunately, the UNSC remains paralyzed,” he regretted.
Pakistan also supported various other initiatives related to Iran, including a statement by the Foreign Ministers of several Islamic countries, as well as within the SCO and the IAEA. “We also support the resolution of the Iran nuclear issue through peaceful means, diplomatic engagement, and sustained dialogue.”
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.