Addressing the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar cast the Palestinian issue as a decisive measure of the international community’s commitment to justice, law, and peace.
Dar warned that the Palestinian question is "a litmus test for the credibility of the U.N., the Security Council, and the integrity of international law." He stressed that ignoring the rights of Palestinians risks emboldening impunity and eroding the legitimacy of the global order that nations claim to uphold.
Describing the Gaza Strip as "not just a humanitarian catastrophe, but a collapse of humanity itself," Dar painted a grim picture of the enclave, now a "graveyard for innocent lives and international law alike." He condemned the systematic targeting of hospitals, schools, U.N. facilities, aid convoys, and refugee camps, calling these deliberate acts of collective punishment that flagrantly violate international humanitarian law and multiple U.N. resolutions.
Dar sounded the alarm on Gaza’s hunger crisis, calling it "unprecedented and deeply alarming," and outlined six urgent steps for the Security Council.
He called for an immediate, permanent, and unconditional cease-fire alongside unhindered humanitarian access to affected areas.
He urged reinforced support for the U.N. agency assisting Palestinian refugees, an end to forced displacement and settlement expansion, and implementation of a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza.
Above all, Dar emphasized the necessity of launching a credible, time-bound political process toward a two-state solution.
He urged the Council to unite and act swiftly, emphasizing that peace and justice depend on reviving a credible political horizon.
This session comes as Pakistan chairs the Security Council this month, putting the country at the center of the global diplomatic spotlight.
In a related development, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed openness to "meaningful dialogue" with India on unresolved issues during a meeting with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott.
Sharif acknowledged the U.K.’s role in defusing tensions after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April, which killed 26 tourists and sparked the worst Pakistan-India standoff in years.
Islamabad denies involvement and calls for a neutral probe.
Sharif also welcomed Britain’s decision to resume Pakistan International Airlines flights to the U.K.
