logo
Pakistan assures UN chief of commitment to ensure peaceful resolution of conflicts

Pakistan assures UN chief of commitment to ensure peaceful resolution of conflicts

Arab News2 days ago
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar this week assured United Nations Secretary General António Guterres of Islamabad's 'strong commitment' to work for peaceful resolution to conflicts as president of the UN Security Council, the Pakistani foreign office said.
Pakistan assumed the presidency of the Security Council for July 2025 earlier this month. Islamabad has said it is mindful of the multiple challenges to international peace and security across the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and other regions in today's world.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan's foreign minister, received a telephone call from Guterres on Sunday night, Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.
'As Pakistan holds the Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of July, the DPM/FM reaffirmed Pakistan's strong commitment to international peace and security, and to the pacific settlement of disputes,' the foreign office said.
'He also highlighted the Signature Events being convened by Pakistan during its Presidency to advance these objectives.'
The statement said both leaders also looked forward to engaging in New York next week during activities related to Pakistan's presidency of the UN Security Council.
'The DPM/FM further reiterated Pakistan's continued support in facilitating the United Nations and its personnel in the effective discharge of their mandate,' the statement added.
Pakistan assumed the presidency of the UNSC at a critical time, with conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine refusing to let up. Israel has killed over 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, in response to Hamas' lightning attack. In June, it engaged in a conflict with Iran after attacking its nuclear facilities and military leadership.
Pakistan has repeatedly condemned Israel's military actions against Palestine, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries since the 2023 conflict began. Islamabad has called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and stated that lasting peace in the Middle East can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UN's Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes
UN's Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes

Arab News

time18 minutes ago

  • Arab News

UN's Syria commission urges deescalation amid Suwayda clashes, warns against Israeli airstrikes

NEW YORK CITY: The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic expressed grave concern on Monday about escalating violence in Suwayda Governorate in the south of the country. Clashes there between Bedouin tribal forces and Druze-affiliated armed groups have left dozens dead, including women and children. More than 100 people have reportedly been injured in recent days, as fighting intensifies and the Syrian Interim Government deploys security and military forces to the area. The Ministry of Defense said at least 18 soldiers had been killed. Local residents describe widespread killings, abductions, arson, looting, and a surge in hate speech, both online and in public. The UN commission urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities and engage in dialogue to deescalate the situation. It emphasized the obligation of the government to uphold human rights and protect all civilians, without discrimination, and called for the provision of safe passage for those attempting to flee the violence, along with access for humanitarian aid efforts. The commission also expressed alarm over reports of Israeli airstrikes in the region, warning that any third-party interventions risked expanding the conflict and compounding the suffering of the Syrian population. It said it was investigating alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws linked to the recent unrest, and its findings would be published in a forthcoming report.

Colombia Holds Conference to End Israeli Occupation of Palestine
Colombia Holds Conference to End Israeli Occupation of Palestine

Leaders

timean hour ago

  • Leaders

Colombia Holds Conference to End Israeli Occupation of Palestine

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said that the 30-country conference held on Tuesday to halt Israel's occupation of Palestine stands out as one of the most important political developments of the past 20 months, Arab News reported. Set to run for a couple of days in the Colombian capital Bogota, the conference highlights the participation of several representatives from countries including China, Spain and Qatar. Participating countries will seize the opportunity and use the event as a platform to lay the groundwork for implementing a UN General Assembly motion. Therefore, they will urge member states to press on Israel to put an end to its illegal occupation of Palestine. This motion featured a deadline of September for carrying out the International Court of Justice's 2024 opinion which concluded that Israel's occupation of Palestine is unlawful. Moreover, UN member states also have an obligation 'not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel's illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory,' the court found. Colombia's President, Gustavo Petro, who is hosting the conference, said that the meeting will represent a global will to move from condemnation to collective action against Israel. 'We can either stand firm in defense of the legal principles that seek to prevent war and conflict, or watch helplessly as the international system collapses under the weight of unchecked power politics,' he said in an article for The Guardian last week. Related Topics: 60 MPs Urge UK to Immediately Recognize Palestinian State Palestinian Bedouins Flee West Bank out of Settler Violence Governor of Aseer Region Welcomes Palestinian Ambassador Short link : Post Views: 40

Pakistan to register tour operators to streamline pilgrimages to Iran, Iraq
Pakistan to register tour operators to streamline pilgrimages to Iran, Iraq

Arab News

time2 hours ago

  • Arab News

Pakistan to register tour operators to streamline pilgrimages to Iran, Iraq

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government is introducing a new, centralized system for organizing pilgrimages to holy sites in Iran and Iraq that would require interested parties to register as tour operators, the Pakistani religious affairs minister announced on Tuesday, a day after a trination meeting in Tehran between interior ministers from the three countries. Islamabad had requested for the tri-nation conference to discuss issues relating to thousands of Pakistani Shiite Muslims, who travel annually to holy sites in Iran, Iraq and Syria. Pakistan previously had no formal structure for people to travel to Iran and Iraq for religious purposes. Although a system was approved in 2021 to organize these pilgrimages, but little progress was made on its implementation. Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf clarified that managing the affairs of Shiite zaireen (pilgrims), like Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, falls under the purview of his ministry. 'The existing, outdated system will soon be phased out and companies interested in organizing pilgrimages [to Iran, Iraq and Syria] must register with the ministry immediately,' he was quoted as saying by the religious affairs ministry. The announcement follows a statement from Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, following the tri-nation meeting in Tehran, saying that Pakistani Shiite pilgrims would not be able to individually travel for religious pilgrimages from Jan. 1 next year. Some Pakistanis traveling individually to these countries were found to be overstaying their visas or working in the host countries, according to the interior minister. Religious Affairs Minister Yousaf noted that around 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims had remained in Iraq, Syria and Iran in recent years and authorities in the three countries had raised their concerns with Pakistan, underlining the need for a formal and accountable structure. 'If the government had a proper record, we would know where each pilgrim went,' he said, adding that Naqvi and Religious Affairs Secretary Dr. Syed Ata-ur-Rehman are currently in Iran to integrate the pilgrimage process into a modern, computerized tracking system. Last month, Pakistan evacuated over 260 nationals from Iraq and another 450 Pakistanis who had been stranded in Iran during the Tehran-Israeli conflict, according to the country's foreign ministry. There was no confirmation of the number of evacuees who had traveled legally and those who had been staying in the two countries illegally. Yousaf said Pakistan's federal cabinet has approved a new framework for Zaireen Group Organizers (ZGOs), and accordingly, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued a public notice for interested parties to register as ZGOs. Of the 1,400 applicants, 585 companies cleared the security vetting process and have been instructed to complete their online registration through the religious affairs ministry's website and submit required documents by July 31, according to the minister. Companies wishing to work as ZGOs can apply for registration till Aug. 10. 'Just as Hajj pilgrims travel through licensed Hajj tour operators, Zaireen will also travel only through registered ZGOs,' Yousaf said, adding that ZGOs will also be required to provide travel cost packages for pilgrims like Hajj tour organizers.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store