ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday condemned Israel’s bombing of the historic Grand Mosque in Gaza’s Khan Younis and urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to protect the Palestinians by putting an end to Israeli violations of the international law, the Pakistani foreign office said.
Israel has carried out near-daily raids across Gaza and the West Bank since the October 7 attacks by Hamas, according to the Palestinian authorities. The Israeli military campaign has destroyed 610 mosques and three churches over the past 10 months in Gaza.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign office, expressed grave concerns and unequivocal condemnation of the recent large-scale military operations by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the bombing of the historic Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, Gaza by the Israeli occupation forces,” she said. “This attack is a grievous assault on a place of deep cultural and religious significance. It also constitutes a clear violation of international law.”
Baloch urged the UNSC to hold Israel accountable for “egregious violations” of international humanitarian law and “war crimes” in Gaza.
“We call on the UN Security Council to take urgent and concrete measures to end these blatant violations of international law and the UN charter, protect the Palestinian people and hold Israel accountable for its egregious violations of international humanitarian law and the genocide and war crimes in Gaza,” she said.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Speaking about the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Cameroon today, Baloch said Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi will present the South Asian nation’s perspective on Gaza and Kashmir along with other global issues.
The two-day event will be held in Cameroon’s capital city of Yaoundé. Pakistan actively participates in CFM meetings to address issues affecting the Muslim world, including Palestine, Kashmir and counterterrorism, while promoting regional cooperation, economic development and Islamic solidarity apart from fostering collaboration with other member states to tackle common challenges and opportunities.
Pakistan condemns bombing of Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, calls on UN to protect Palestinians
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Pakistan condemns bombing of Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, calls on UN to protect Palestinians
- Pakistan foreign office terms Israeli attack a ‘grievous assault’ on a religious place
- Over 40,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces since war began last year
Pakistani religio-political party holds protests over US backing of Israel’s renewed Gaza offensive
- Jamaat-e-Islami asks the government to clarify its position on the reported visit of Pakistani journalists to Israel
- Its top leader blames Washington for encouraging ‘Israel’s terrorism’ leading to the Palestinian ‘genocide’ in Gaza
KARACHI: A prominent Pakistani religio-political party held pro-Palestine protests outside the American diplomatic missions in major cities on Friday, condemning Washington’s support for Israel’s recent military actions in Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes have killed over 500 Palestinians, with more than half of them women and children, since Tuesday, according to Palestinian health authorities in Gaza.
The renewed escalation is a blow to the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on Jan. 15, following more than a year of Israeli airstrikes that flattened much of Gaza’s infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and residential neighborhoods.
Around 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza were killed during the 15-month war that began in October 2023.
Reacting to the development, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan decided to bring out pro-Palestine rallies, with its chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rahman addressing his followers in Lahore to highlight the gravity of the situation.
“People are on the streets showing solidarity with their Palestinian brothers, sisters and children,” he said. “This is the month of Ramadan, and the calamity happening during this month is a shameful reality for humanity.”
Rahman condemned the “relentless bombardment” in Gaza that has led to the death of hundreds of people and caused widespread destruction in the area.
“If there is any power behind Israel’s terrorism and the genocide of Palestinians, it is the power of America,” he said. “This is why America is complicit in the bloodshed of Palestinians, supporting Israel and Netanyahu.”
He criticized the international community’s inaction and the perceived complacency of Muslim rulers, questioning the silence of their armies and the continuation of trade with the US and Israel.
“All these people share equal responsibility for the blood of Palestinians,” he declared.
The JI chief demanded the government to clarify how a group of Pakistani journalists recently managed to travel to Israel.
“Reports are circulating on social media about Pakistani journalists traveling to Israel,” he said. “The government should present its stance on this matter. If a deal is made with the Zionists and the blood of Palestinians traded, the nation will turn these rulers into an example for others.”
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and explicitly states this on its passport. The foreign office said this week it was seeking more information about the reported visit of the Pakistani delegation while ruling out any possibility of recognizing Israel.
In Karachi, JI’s city head, Munim Zafar Khan, led a protest outside the US Consulate, where he reiterated the importance of protecting Jerusalem by framing it as a matter of faith.
“The people of Gaza remain steadfast despite the devastation Israel has inflicted upon them,” he said. “With faith in Allah and perseverance, no worldly power can defeat you.”
Khan echoed Rahman’s criticism of Muslim rulers, accusing them of being “meek before America” and failing to protect the Palestinian people.
He also praised young people around the world for showing solidarity with Palestine and highlighted the resilience of the Gazan people, who are observing Ramadan under dire conditions.
Elon Musk’s Starlink gets temporary go-ahead to boost Internet access in Pakistan
- Country’s IT minister calls it a ‘milestone’ development that will enhance Pakistan’s Internet infrastructure
- Shaza Fatima Khawaja says the decision was taken with the consensus of all security and regulatory bodies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has granted temporary registration to Starlink, a satellite Internet service by SpaceX that promises high-speed connectivity, particularly in underserved areas, state media reported on Friday.
The move comes as the international company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, applied to secure a full operating license in Pakistan, where demand for improved Internet access remains high.
Musk, who has drawn global attention for his proximity to US President Donald Trump and controversial political stances, has pushed to expand Starlink’s footprint globally despite regulatory hurdles in several countries.
“With the consensus of all security and regulatory bodies, Starlink has been issued a temporary No Objection Certificate (NOC),” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency said while quoting an official statement.
APP said the decision was described by Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja as part of the government’s initiative to enhance the country’s Internet infrastructure.
“Starlink’s registration is a major step forward in this journey,” she continued.
The IT minister said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) would oversee compliance with fee payments and other licensing requirements by the company.
“Modern solutions like satellite Internet will greatly enhance connectivity, particularly in underserved and remote areas of the country,” she added, calling the approval a milestone.
Khawaja highlighted the Pakistani administration adopted a “whole-of-government” approach, working in close collaboration with all relevant institutions to facilitate Starlink’s registration process.
She also acknowledged the respective roles played by cybercrime and security agencies, the PTA and the country’s space agency in this regard.
The minister expressed optimism that Starlink’s entry into Pakistan would formally launch satellite Internet services and bridge the digital divide.
Pakistan Taliban kill five police officers in multiple attacks
- The group announced a ‘spring campaign’ against the security forces earlier this month
- Militant attacks have so far claimed over 170 lives in Pakistan’s western provinces this year
PESHAWAR: The Pakistani Taliban killed at least five police officers and wounded six others in multiple attacks in the country’s northwest, police said Friday.
There were at least five separate attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The killings were claimed by the Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — which in mid-March announced a “spring campaign” against the security forces.
The group has since claimed responsibility for more than 80 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a mountainous province along the porous Afghan border.
Qasim Ali, police chief in the provincial capital Peshawar, said “there has been a noticeable rise in attacks on the police” recently.
Such incidents are a daily occurrence in the region, where the military regularly says it kills “terrorists.”
Ali reported attacks against police in nine district over just two days since TTP announced its offensive, saying the force has responded with more counterterrorism operations.
More than 170 people, mostly security personnel, have been killed in militant attacks against the state in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighboring Balochistan province since the beginning of this year, according to an AFP tally.
Balochistan saw a dramatic train siege this month which officials said resulted in around 60 deaths, half of which were separatists behind the assault.
Last year was the deadliest year in almost a decade, with more than 1,600 people killed in attacks in Pakistan — nearly half of them security forces personnel — according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.
The violence is largely limited to Pakistan’s border regions with Afghanistan.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to counter militants operating from its territory that are targeting Pakistan, an allegation the Taliban authorities deny.
Pakistan on path to recovery in polio fight after last year’s surge, officials tell donors
- Pakistan reported 74 polio cases in 2024, with six children diagnosed with the virus so far this year
- Pakistani officials say they are closely working with provinces and partners to eradicate the disease
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities working to eradicate polio expressed cautious optimism this week, telling donors that the country was on the path to recovery after recording alarmingly high case numbers last year, thanks to closer coordination with provinces and international partners.
Polio is a crippling disease with no cure, and multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with timely completion of routine immunization for children under five, are essential to building protection against the virus.
Pakistan reported 74 polio cases in 2024. So far, six children have been diagnosed with the virus in the first three months of this year. The government has planned several nationwide immunization campaigns in 2025 to address immunity gaps.
“We are on road to recovery but not yet there,” Muhammad Anwarul Haq, a senior official at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), said during the briefing, according to a social media post by the center on Thursday.
“Working closely with provinces and partners, we will optimize gains from national campaigns scheduled in April and May besides improving essential immunization coverage in key pockets of concern,” he added.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, thanked donors for their sustained commitment to a polio-free world and acknowledged both the program’s progress and the hurdles that remain.
She urged continued efforts to close remaining immunity gaps swiftly to interrupt transmission in 2025.
Pakistan’s polio eradication program was launched in 1994, but progress has been hampered by persistent vaccine misinformation and resistance from conservative clerics who claim immunization is a foreign conspiracy. Militant violence has also targeted polio workers in parts of the country.
The donor briefing was attended by representatives of several international entities, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization, Gates Foundation and Islamic Development Bank.
Pakistan ratifies WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies, first on ocean sustainability
- Agreement prohibits subsidies contributing to illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing, overfishing and fishing on unregulated high seas
- 94 WTO members have formally accepted the agreement, 17 more formal acceptances are needed for the agreement to come into effect
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan this week accepted the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the first WTO agreement with an environmental objective at its core, prohibiting subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfishing, and fishing on the unregulated high seas.
The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was adopted by the WTO in June 2022. Pakistan, with its extensive coastline along the Arabian Sea, relies heavily on fisheries for food security, employment and exports. However, the sector faces challenges due to overfishing, lack of regulation and inadequate infrastructure. The country provides subsidies to support small-scale fishers including fuel subsidies, tax exemptions and financial aid.
Pakistan’s instrument of acceptance brings to 94 the total number of WTO members that have formally accepted the agreement. Seventeen more formal acceptances are needed for the agreement to come into effect. The agreement will enter into force upon acceptance by two-thirds of the membership.
“Pakistan deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on Mar. 20,” the WTO said in a statement on Thursday. “Ambassador Ali Sarfraz Hussain presented Pakistan’s instrument of acceptance to Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.”
Iweala said the move was a vital step toward ensuring long-term sustainability of global marine resources while safeguarding the livelihoods of millions dependent on healthy fisheries.
“By joining this collective effort, Pakistan demonstrates its commitment to its coastal communities and the environment, and it becomes eligible for resources from our Fish Fund,” she said. “I encourage the remaining WTO members to swiftly follow suit – we need only 17 more.”
Hussain said the depositing of the instrument of ratification reflected the government’s commitment to safeguard marine resources.
“We recognize the critical role that this agreement can play in curbing harmful fishing practices and in ensuring the long-term health of our oceans,” the report quoted the ambassador as saying. “We urge all WTO members to join us in this essential global effort.”
With the adoption of the agreement, Pakistan must now align its policies to restrict harmful subsidies while ensuring support for sustainable fishing practices. Strengthening fisheries management, enforcing regulations and investing in marine conservation will be key to balancing economic and environmental priorities, experts say.
