Pakistan and Iran have condemned Israel's unrestrained military aggression in the Middle East, its genocidal actions against innocent civilians and its illegal measures in occupied territories. Addressing a joint news conference along with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in Islamabad on Tuesday after their bilateral talks, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Israeli actions are in violation of international law and the UN Charter and contribute the root cause of all tensions in the Middle East. The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan's call for establishing a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of Pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Ishaq Dar said we reject the propensity by occupying powers to equate the right to self-determination with terrorism, which, he said, is nothing, but a ploy to prolong their occupation and apartheid policies. The Deputy Prime Minister said the longstanding Palestinian and Jammu and Kashmir issues must be addressed through peaceful means by fully respecting the rights and aspirations of the affected populations in line with the relevant UN resolutions and the Charter.

Ishaq Dar said during the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister, they also discussed ways and means to enhance cooperation across several key areas including trade, energy and border security. He said the two sides have agreed to intensify collaboration on border management and address shared challenges. The Foreign Minister said they have underscored that terrorism and extremism pose a serious threat to the regional peace and pledged to coordinate joint efforts to eradicate these challenges. In his remarks on the occasion, the Iranian Foreign Minister appreciated Pakistan's strong and clear stance in condemning the Israeli aggression against Iran. The Iranian Foreign Minister said his country does not seek escalation. However, he said we reserve our right to legitimize defence under the UN Charter. The Iranian Foreign Minister reiterated the commitment to further strengthen the brotherly relations with Pakistan in all areas including economy, trade, politics and culture.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan