ANKARA, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday arrived in Turkey on a special diplomatic mission to raise voice for the Palestinians facing Israeli aggression.
At Ankara Airport, Ankara Deputy Governor Ismail Küreci, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Syrus Sajjad Qazi and senior embassy officials received the foreign minister.
From Turkey, the foreign minister will leave for New York along with Turkish, Sudanese and Palestinian foreign ministers, on directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In New York, he will speak at the United Nations General Assembly session, meet various dignitaries and hold talks with local and international media representatives and present Pakistan’s views on the situation in Palestine.
Talking to different Pakistani television channel on phone, the foreign minister said, that the attempts were being made to keep the Palestinian FM from the UNGA session.
He said as the session was convened to discuss the plight of the Palestinian people, so the debate should be opened by Palestinian foreign minister.
Qureshi said their delegation would await the Palestinian FM to join them in Istanbul.
He said around 65 million Muslims living in Western countries would have to play a role to seek support for the suffering Palestinian people.
He said the next 48 hours would be critical and any wrong step would not be in the interest of the Palestinian people.
The foreign minister also called for media to play an active role to awaken the world to the Israeli aggression against the defenceless people in Palestine.
To a question, he said the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was also playing its part and many other countries too had activated considering the seriousness of the situation.
He said the UN General Assembly session was convened after the UN Security Council could not evolve consensus. He said being the most important body, the UNSC was responsible for peace and security in the region as well as the world.
He said pursuant to the decision made in the emergency session of the OIC, the permanent representatives of the member states approached the UNGA President Volkan Bozkir who agreed to convened the session on May 20.
He said while being in Turkey, he would shortly meet the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to discuss the evolving situation.
The foreign minister said Israeli forces had started bombing hospitals, COVID-19 laboratories and even water supply networks, with looming threats of food scarcity.
He said at the UNGA, he would represent the sentiments of the people of Pakistan as well as the unanimous parliamentary resolution.
Qureshi said that despite political changes and tough financial circumstances, Pakistan remained steadfast to its policy on Kashmir and Palestine and resolved to keep doing so.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said Prime Minister Imran Khan had a very clear viewpoint on the issue who, he said, called him and said “go all out” for it being an issue of the faith as the Israeli forces attacked Qibla-e-Awal which was symbol of oneness.
To a question, the foreign minister said the situation was evolving and in diplomacy, disappointment was never allowed to dominate rather the challenge was taken as an opportunity.
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