DUBAI: Pakistan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and the UAE is “extremely important” for the region, Pakistan’s top military spokesman said on Thursday.
Pakistan has a history of “wonderful relationships” with the two Gulf states, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, director general of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on a visit to the Arab News Dubai bureau.
“This cooperation is increasing with every passing day, and we believe this cooperation is in the interest of not only Pakistan, but also the region,” he said.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE played an essential part in assisting Pakistan in the fight against terrorism, Gen. Ghafoor said.
In conflict areas where Pakistani forces had cleared out terrorists, development work had been “assisted phenomenally” by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, specifically in the field of social welfare, including hospitals and water supply schemes, he said.
On Pakistan’s continuing disputes with Afghanistan, Gen. Ghafoor said the Pakistani army had cleared areas that had been under terrorist influence on the Pakistan side of the border, but militants still controlled areas on the Afghan side “due to the lack of capacity of the Afghan forces, and now with the reduced footprint of the international forces.”
“So the issue now resides inside Afghanistan, where the threat is still unchecked,” he said.
Gen. Ghafoor also welcomed the new Arab News online Pakistan edition, launched this month, which he hoped would contribute to positive journalism.
“It’s a great pleasure to visit the Arab News setup here in Dubai and we are even more pleased to have the Arab News bureau in Islamabad,” he said.
Pakistan military spokesman hails Saudi, UAE role in fighting terror
Pakistan military spokesman hails Saudi, UAE role in fighting terror
Pakistan calls for united Muslim strategy to counter Israel, pledges diplomatic support to Iran
- Defense Minister Khawaja Asif urges Muslim countries to sever diplomatic ties with Israel
- Iran refuses to join nuclear negotiations with the United States while Israeli strikes continue
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday urged Muslim nations to adopt a unified strategy to counter Israel, warning that failure to act collectively would leave them vulnerable, as he expressed full diplomatic support to Iran in a speech to the National Assembly following Israeli strikes.
Israel launched surprise attacks on Iranian nuclear and military facilities in the early hours of Friday amid Tehran’s negotiations with Washington over its nuclear program. The strikes killed several senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, according to Iranian media, and also caused civilian casualties.
Israel, at war in the region since October 2023, initially launched a military campaign against Gaza following a Hamas assault, which the Palestinian group said was retaliation for decades of oppression. Since then, the Israeli government has expanded its military operations to neighboring Muslim states such as Syria and Lebanon before targeting Iran.
Pakistan condemned the Israeli action and said Iran had the right to defend itself under international law.
“Just as Israel is currently targeting Yemen, Iran, and Palestine, if the Muslim world does not unite today and continues to prioritize its own interests and agendas, then everyone’s turn will come,” Asif told lawmakers.
“An OIC meeting should be convened, and all Muslim countries must come together to devise a strategy through which Israel can be confronted collectively,” he continued. “There is a need for an initiative that reflects the unity of the Islamic world. Wherever there are diplomatic ties with Israel in the Muslim world, they should be severed.”
The Pakistani minister added the Muslim world remained “militarily vulnerable” and voiced what he described as Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with Iran.
Later in the day, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told the assembly Pakistan had presented a “robust position” at the United Nations Security Council a day earlier, where it denounced the Israeli strikes.
He said Iran’s permanent representative at the world body had acknowledged and praised Pakistan’s support.
Tarar reiterated that under the UN Charter, Iran had the right to self-defense and emphasized that Pakistan had consistently condemned the suffering of Palestinians.
“The Palestinian cause is close to our hearts,” he said. “We have always raised our voice for our Palestinian brothers and sisters at every international forum.”
The Iranian foreign ministry announced earlier in the day it would no longer take part in planned nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, calling them “meaningless” while Israeli attacks continued.
“It is obvious that in such circumstances and until the Zionist regime’s aggression against the Iranian nation stops, it would be meaningless to participate in dialogue with a party that is the biggest supporter and accomplice of the aggressor,” an Iranian spokesperson said according to international wire agencies.
Israel’s defense minister also warned “Tehran will burn” if Iran continued to launch missiles at Israeli cities.
Iran had retaliated on Friday night by launching a barrage of missiles at Israel, with explosions lighting up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
A day earlier, Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, condemned Israel’s strike on Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, calling it a violation of international law.
“Iran has the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter,” he said, urging all sides to avoid further escalation and emphasizing the need to resolve tensions through diplomacy.
We will recognize the State of Palestine soon, Macron tells Asharq News
- French president: ‘I have agreed with the Saudi crown prince to postpone the New York conference to a date in the near future’
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron pledged, in statements to Asharq News on the sidelines of a meeting with journalists and representatives of Palestinian and Israeli civil society institutions, that his country will recognize the State of Palestine at an upcoming conference that France will organize with Saudi Arabia in New York.
In response to a question about whether there are conditions for recognizing the Palestinian state, Macron said: “There are no conditions. Recognition will take place through a process that includes stopping the war on Gaza, restoring humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, releasing Israeli hostages, and disarming Hamas.”
He stressed: “This is one package.”
Macron indicated that France and Saudi Arabia have agreed to postpone the UN conference they are co-organizing, which was originally scheduled to take place in New York next week. He noted that current developments have prevented Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York.
Macron explained that he had spoken several times with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday and Palestinian President Abbas, and it was agreed to “postpone the meeting to a date in the near future.”
He also claimed that the president of Indonesia, which currently does not officially recognize Israel, had pledged to do so if France recognizes the State of Palestine. Macron emphasized “the need for maintaining this dynamic.”
The International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, scheduled to be held in New York from June 17-20 and co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, outlined in its paper a commitment to the “two-state solution” as the foundational reference. The paper defines a timeline for implementation, outlines the practical obligations of all parties involved, and calls for the establishment of international mechanisms to ensure the continuity of the process.
Asharq News obtained a copy of the paper, which asserts that the implementation of the two-state solution must proceed regardless of local or regional developments. It ensures the full recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a political solution that upholds people’s rights and responds to their aspirations for peace and security.
The paper highlights that the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the war on Gaza have led to an unprecedented escalation in violence and casualties, resulting in the most severe humanitarian crisis to date, widespread destruction, and immense suffering for civilians on both sides, including detainees, their families, and residents of Gaza.
It further confirms that settlement activities pose a threat to the two-state solution, which it states is the only path to achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the region. The paper notes that the settlement activities undermine regional and international peace, security, and prosperity.
According to the paper, the conference aims to alter the current course by building on national, regional, and international initiatives and adopting concrete measures to uphold international law. The conference will also focus on advancing a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace that ensures security for all the people of the region and fosters regional integration.
The conference reaffirms the international community’s unwavering commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution, highlighting the urgent need to act in pursuit of these objectives.
Saudi FM receives German counterpart in Riyadh
- During the meeting, the officials reviewed relations between their countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Riyadh on Saturday.
During the meeting, the officials reviewed relations between their countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields.
They also discussed regional and international developments and their implications on the security and stability of the region.
Iranian media claims Israeli pilots captured, IDF denies
DUBAI: The Iranian army has claimed they have downed a third Israeli F-35 fighter jet since Israel’s attacks began on Friday.
State Iranian media, Tehran Times, reported that one pilot is believed to have been liquidated and another captured by Iranian forces.
However, the Israeli Defense Forces denied the claims dubbing the news “fake”.
“This news being spread by Iranian media is completely baseless” the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday the launch of “Operation Rising Lion” against Iran in an effort to deter the Iranian threat of nuclear weapons to Israel. Netanyahu confirmed the operation will continue until the mission is accomplished.
Indian opposition, civil society call out government’s silence on Israel’s war on Gaza
- India among 19 countries to abstain from backing UN resolution on Gaza ceasefire
- Indian government has, in recent years, moved away from historical support for Palestine
NEW DELHI: India’s main opposition party and civil society members are demanding the government break its silence on Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians, after New Delhi abstained from voting on a UN resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
While 149 countries at the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed the resolution demanding aid access and an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the besieged enclave on Thursday, India was among 19 countries that abstained, with 12 others voting against it.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish said the abstention was based on “the belief that there is no other way to resolve conflicts but through dialogue and diplomacy,” adding that “a joint effort should be directed towards bringing the two sides closer.”
The government’s vote sparked an outcry in India, as politicians and members of civil society urged the government to return to its traditional foreign policy of supporting Palestine.
“This is a tragic reversal of our anti-colonial legacy. How can we, as a nation, just abandon the principles of our constitution, and the values of our freedom struggle that led the way for an international arena based on peace and humanity?” Priyanka Gandhi, MP and senior leader of the Congress Party, told Arab News on Saturday.
The move to abstain on the UN resolution was “shameful and disappointing,” she said, adding: “There is no justification for this. True global leadership demands the courage to defend justice, India has shown this courage unfailingly in the past.”
Many years before the establishment of Israel, Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s liberation movement against British rule, had opposed a Jewish nation-state in Palestine, deeming it “inhumane.” For decades, other Indian leaders also viewed Palestinian statehood as part of the country’s foreign policy.
That support has only waned recently, with the current government forging partnerships with Tel Aviv and largely remaining silent in the wake of Israel’s deadly siege on Gaza. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing onslaught that began in October 2023, while more than 128,000 others have been injured and scores of others put in danger of starvation by Israel’s daily attacks and aid blockades.
“A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding. Has India abandoned its principled stand against war, against genocide, and for justice?” KC Venugopal, MP and general secretary of the Congress party, told Arab News.
“India has long been a principled voice for ceasefire, peace, and dialogue in the Middle East. Rooted in our legacy of non-alignment and moral diplomacy, India has historically championed the cause of justice and humanitarian values in global conflicts,” he said.
“At a time when the region is witnessing unspeakable violence, humanitarian collapse, and growing instability, India cannot afford to remain silent or passive.”
Apoorvanand Jha, a professor at the University of Delhi, said that India “has chosen to stand behind bullies” by choosing to abstain from the UN vote.
“It’s very clear that India has lost its moral standing … I definitely demand the government continue with traditional Indian foreign policy, which was to stand with Palestine, stand against aggression in any form, and that should lead it to oppose Israel’s aggressive stance in the matter of Palestine,” Jha told Arab News.
“It has to tell Israel. It has to take a definite stand in the UN and elsewhere that it doesn’t support Israel (and) Israel’s aggression.”
