UNITED NATIONS, APR 09 (APP): Pakistan has urged the UN Security Council to take appropriate steps to ensure implementation “in letter and spirit” of its resolution (2728) that called for a ceasefire in besieged Gaza.

Speaking in the General Assembly, Ambassador Munir Akram said that as agreed at the Arab-OIC Summit in Riyadh, the 15-member Council should impose an immediate ban on the export of weapons and ammunition to Israel and hold it responsible for their crimes against the Palestinian people in the enclave.

The 193-member Assembly met to debate ‘the use of veto on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question.’
At the same time, Ambassador Akram reiterated Pakistan’s unflinching support for the admission of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations, saying, “This step will make a Palestinian State a political reality and inevitability.”

The UN General Assembly meeting was called following the veto of a draft resolution, documented as 2024/239, submitted by the United States, prompting a discussion on the situation in the Middle East, particularly concerning the Palestinian question.

Acknowledging the subsequent adoption of Security Council resolution 2728 (2024) calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the Pakistani envoy expressed disappointment in Israel’s non-compliance with the resolution, emphasizing the binding nature of Security Council resolutions under Article 25 of the UN Charter.

Noting that the vetoed resolution contained several positive elements, he said there were significant deficiencies in it, particularly the absence of a demand for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, which had the overwhelming support of the entire UN membership, as expressed through the adoption of the two General Assembly resolutions.

The Pakistani envoy also criticized the vetoed resolution for its failure to address Israel’s military actions adequately, including the killing of innocent Palestinians and the absence of reference to the ICJ’s preliminary findings and recommendations. He also noted the resolution’s lack of opposition to the threatened Israeli ground offensive in Rafah.
Referring to Israel’s military campaign against Gaza, Ambassador Akram emphasized the urgency of a ceasefire, condemning Israel’s actions that resulted in the loss of thousands of innocent lives, targeting of essential infrastructure, and obstruction of humanitarian aid.

He underscored the necessity for any decision by the Security Council to prioritize an immediate cessation of hostilities and the lifting of barriers to humanitarian assistance.
Reiterating Pakistan’s support for the two-state solution, Ambassador Akram said that the establishment of an independent State of Palestine, with Al-Quds as its capital, was the only viable path to lasting peace in the Middle East.

He called for the revival of the peace process, inclusive of key Arab and OIC countries, saying,“The brutality and bloodshed in Gaza has persisted for too long. They must end now, and their recurrence must be prevented through a durable two-state solution.”