Pakistan foreign minister meets Turkish counterpart in Ankara to discuss Palestine
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reached Turkey early Tuesday morning from where he will fly to New York to attend and address an emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Israeli attacks on Palestine.
He was received by Ankara Deputy Governor Ismail Küreci, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Syrus Sajjad Qazi and senior embassy officials at the Ankara Airport.
Pakistan and Turkey have strongly condemned the Israeli aggression against unarmed Palestinians and their forced eviction from their homes, according to a statement issued following g a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Tuesday.
The two foreign ministers also decided to jointly raise voice against the Israeli persecution of Palestinians.
The foreign minister said Ithat Israel was further complicating the matter and its bombardment was making it impossible for the Palestinians to access healthcare facilities.
“Hurdles are being created so that the Palestinian foreign minister could not attend the UN General Assembly session,” Qureshi said adding that “we will wait for the Palestinian foreign minister and want him to accompany us for the session.”
On the special instructions of PM Imran Khan, Qureshi will leave for New York together with the foreign ministers of Palestine, Turkey and Sudan.
During his New York visit, the foreign minister will hold “important meetings” with different dignitaries and will the statement said.
FM Qureshi will speak at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to “raise a voice [for] oppressed Palestinians in the UNGA” and take part in debates on May 20.
Pakistan’s permanent mission to the UN said. FM Qureshi will also hold meetings with various dignitaries as well as local and international media representatives to share Pakistan’s views on the situation in Palestine.
United States has constantly prevented the United Nations Security Council from issuing a public statement on the Israeli assault as the White House said it was pursuing “quiet, intensive diplomacy.”
Pakistan’s National Assembly on Monday passed a unanimous resolution against the ‘unconscionable brutality’ of Israel against Palestinians. “Today in Parliament proud to present a resolution, unanimously adopted, in support of Palestine, condemning Israeli’s unconscionable brutality & reaffirming Pakistan support for a two-state solution,” Qureshi said.
At least 212 Palestinians, including 61 children, have so far been killed in Israeli airstrikes during days of tension in occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza territories of Palestine.