ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 : Jammu and Kashmir was an internationally recognized disputed territory whose final status was to be determined in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said on Friday.
Speaking during the weekly press briefing here, he said, “We wish to set the record straight regarding remarks made by the Spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding Jammu and Kashmir, yesterday. India’s arbitrary designation of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as its so-called Union Territory is null and void, ipso facto.”
“Rather than making baseless claims, India should vacate the large territories of Jammu and Kashmir under its forcible occupation for the last 77 years,” he continued.
He said that at the invitation of Acting Afghan Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will lead a high-level delegation to Kabul on Saturday.
During the day-long visit, he will call on the Afghan Acting Prime Minister besides meeting the Afghan Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and holding delegation-level talks with the Acting Foreign Minister.
The talks will cover the entire agenda of the Pak-Afghan relationship, focusing on ways and means to deepen cooperation in all areas of mutual interests, including security, trade, connectivity, and people-to-people ties.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s visit is a reflection of Pakistan’s commitment to enhance sustained engagement with the brotherly country of Afghanistan.
He said, “Pakistan strongly condemns the bombing of the Baptist Hospital in Gaza by Israeli occupation forces. This attack, part of a pattern of targeting medical facilities, constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. That it occurred on Palm Sunday, a sacred occasion for Christians, underscores Israel’s blatant disregard for religious sanctity and civilian lives.”
Pakistan demanded an immediate end to Israel’s ongoing atrocities, which had resulted in the indiscriminate killing of innocent and unarmed Palestinians, including women and children, and the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, he added.
“Israel’s relentless assaults have crippled Gaza’s healthcare system, depriving critically ill patients of vital medical care. Coupled with the blockade on humanitarian aid, these actions reflect a deliberate strategy to prolong suffering and entrench conflict. Pakistan calls for an immediate halt to the hostilities by Israeli occupying forces and reiterates its support for the two-State solution, with a viable, independent and sovereign State of Palestine on pre-June 1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital, ” he continued.
He said Pakistan urged the international community to take decisive action to hold Israel accountable and protect Palestinian civilians from further violence.
He said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will undertake an official visit to Pakistan from 20-21 April 2025.
The high-level visit reflected the deep-rooted, fraternal relations between Pakistan and the UAE, and underscored the two countries’ shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across all areas of mutual interest, he remarked.
The Spokesperson said that at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda, Ambassador Olivier J. P Nduhungirehe will be visiting Pakistan from 21-22 April 2025. During the visit, Foreign Minister Nduhungirehe will be holding talks with the Deputy Prime Minister.
Apart from calling on the Prime Minister and the Chairman Senate, the Foreign Minister of Rwanda will also have meetings with some key Federal Ministers. Foreign Minister Nduhungirehe will also officially inaugurate the High Commission of the Republic of Rwanda in Islamabad, he added.
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
