ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar this week pushed for “universal recognition” of the state of Palestine and its full membership at the United Nations (UN), calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at a UN summit held to discuss the two-state solution in the Middle East.
Dar was speaking at a high-level UN conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution which opened on Monday. The conference was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.
The summit brought together UN member states, observers and regional stakeholders. It featured plenary discussions and thematic roundtables on issues ranging from security arrangements and humanitarian response to reconstruction and economic viability. The conference was held at a time when the world is pushing for peace in the Middle East, where Israel has killed over 58,000 people in Gaza since October 7, 2023, through various military offensives.
Speaking at the conference on Monday, Dar said the prolonged injustice in Palestine was not only a political failure but a “moral stain – and a persistent threat to international peace and security.”
“Ensure universal recognition of the State of Palestine and its full UN membership,” Dar said. “We welcome France’s decision to recognize the state of Palestine and encourage other countries who have not done so far, to extend recognition and contribute to this global momentum for Palestinian statehood.”
