Speaking in a high-level meeting of the Security Council on peace and security in the Middle East, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Gilani said the Palestinian people have been "languishing under the yoke of tyrannical oppression and unlawful occupation for far too long.

"The gentle winds of spring must visit the Palestinian territory and other occupied Arab lands as well," he told 15-member Council which met as the UN General Assembly is holding its 67th session.

"We firmly believe that without the resolution of the core issue, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the Arab Peace Initiative that leads to the re-establishment of independent and viable State of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, comprehensive peace in the region would remain a pipe dream."

The foreign secretary said that Pakistan supported cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations on matters of peace and security, humanitarian assistance, development and human rights.

Regional bodies could play an important role in the peaceful settlement of disputes, as they understood better the complexities of each situation, he said.

The Arab world was experiencing a period of uncertainty and reform, and as a vibrant democracy born out of struggle, Pakistan supported the legitimate aspirations of its peoples, Gilani said. The decision for change should be channelled through peaceful means and led by the people themselves.

Coercive measures were seldom effective, he said, adding that dialogue must be maintained. The Pakistan foreign secretary also condemned the release of a defamatory video as a "disgraceful act" meant to incite hatred against Muslims under the pretext of freedom of expression, and called for international measures, including legislation, against such actions, in line with human rights standards.

"International Community must therefore take stock of these reprehensible acts and take concerted actions to introduce and/or implement adequate measures, including legislation, against these acts at all levels in accordance with the international human rights standards," International Community must therefore take stock of these reprehensible acts and take concerted actions to introduce and/or implement adequate measures, including legislations, against these acts at all levels in accordance with the international human rights standards, Gilani added.