Plane carrying humanitarian assistance for Palestinians has left for Egypt: FO spokesperson

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch said that a chartered plane carrying 100 tons of humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies, tents and blankets, had left for Egypt for their onward transportation to Gaza for the suffering Palestinian population.

Addressing the weekly press conference on Thursday, she reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation on Israeli atrocities in Gaza particularly the recent attack on a hospital. "The deliberate attack on civilians constitutes to the war crimes."

Asked whether Pakistan intended to send its troops to Palestine under any mandate, not to fight against Israel rather for maintenance of peace, the spokesperson said that Pakistan had no such plan. She said Pakistan had a peaceful posture and never started war with any country and always called for dialogue to seek resolution of the issues.

She also expressed her disappointment over the results of the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held on Wednesday, and called for an immediate end to the bombardment and inhumane blockade of Gaza. “We are nationally disappointed by the results of the UNSC debate. The Security Council should play its designated role to bring an immediate end to the bombardment and blockade leading to a humanitarian catastrophe,” she added.

The spokesperson was referring to use of the veto power by the United States at the UN security council to block a resolution calling for Israel to allow humanitarian corridors into the Gaza Strip, a pause in the fighting and the lifting of an order for civilians to leave the north of the besieged territory.

China, Russia and the UAE had convened the meeting to discuss the worsening situation in the Gaza. The resolution, sponsored by Brazil, had wide support and would have also condemned all violence against civilians. The vote in the 15-member Council was 12 votes in favour to one (United States) against, with Russia and China abstaining. She said Pakistan did not believe in escalation rather wanted a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and called upon the international community to work together to ensure peace.

The FO spokesperson said that a briefing session was held for the diplomatic corps on the subject of the repatriation of illegal foreign nationals from Pakistan. She said an institutional mechanism had been developed to prevent the incidents of harassment and a helpline has also been established to address the complaints.

Asked about any extension in the deadline of October 31, she said the government had the mandate to make any such decision.