ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has distanced itself from President Dr Arif Alvi’s ‘one-state solution’ statement related to Palestine issue — with caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani contending that the FO was not taken into the loop by the presidency before issuing these remarks.
Pakistan’s policy has always been in favour of two-state solution related to Palestine issue, the caretaker minister said on the floor of the house in the Senate session on Tuesday.
“One-state solution has never been Pakistan’s policy,” he said responding to a point of order raised by former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
“I don’t know in what context did the president talk about one-state solution—we had to issue a clarification after the president’s statement,” he said, adding that the clarification had to be sent to the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) and the United Nations.
The caretaker foreign minister said that Rabbani’s point of order was justified, adding that the presidency did not consult the FO in connection with one-state solution statement.
Earlier, speaking on his point of order, Rabbani demanded president’s resignation over his statement proposing one-state solution in resolution of Palestine issue. On November 10, the presidency had issued a statement quoting President Alvi having proposed “one-state solution” to the Palestine issue during a telephonic conversation with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas.
“If two states solution was not acceptable to Israel, then one state solution was the only way where Jews, Muslims and good percentage of Christians could live to exercise equal political rights,” the press release quoted Dr Alvi having said to the Palestine’s president.
However, only hours later, the presidency issued another statement which said that President Alvi assured his Palestinian counterpart that Pakistan would continue its support for resolving the Palestinian dispute in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Meanwhile, caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, on behalf of caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar, laid before the house the report on 1st Biannual Monitoring on the implementation of 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award (July-December 2021). Laying this report in the house is a mandatory constitution requirement under the relevant laws. The house was adjourned till Friday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023