Pakistan slams Natenyahu's statement to establish Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday has “strongly” condemned the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement regarding the establishment of the the Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia, ARY News reported quoting Foreign Office.

Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, at his weekly press briefing, called the statement “irresponsible, provocative, and thoughtless” offending and disregarding the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent state on their own historical and legitimate territory.”

“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and any attempt to undermine Saudi Arabia’s unwavering position and misrepresentation of its commitment to the Palestinian cause is deeply regrettable,” he stated.

He said that in his telephonic conversations with counterparts from Iran, Egypt, Turkiye, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar termed the proposal to displace the people of Gaza deeply troubling and unjust and conveyed Pakistan’s support for convening an extraordinary OIC meeting of Foreign Ministers to deliberate upon this issue.

Pakistan on calling its reference in the Indo-US joint statement as “one-sided, misleading, and contrary to diplomatic norms” said that it could not cover up India’s sponsorship of terrorism, subversion, and extrajudicial assassinations in the region and beyond.

Pakistan’s reference had been included notwithstanding its counterterrorism cooperation with the US.

He said that such references could not shift international attention from the stark reality of India being a safe haven for perpetrators of hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities.

“The joint statement fails to address India’s non-compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, which is a key source of tension and instability in the region, nor does it take cognizance of the grim human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Regrettably, this amounts to an abdication of international responsibility,” he remarked.

The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to contributing constructively to regional and global efforts to promote peace and stability and bringing the fight against terrorism to its logical conclusion.

He also expressed Pakistan’s concerns over the planned transfer of advanced military technologies to India as it could cause military imbalances in the region and undermine strategic stability.

He urged the international partners to take a holistic and objective view of the issues of peace and security in South Asia and refrain from endorsing positions that are one-sided and divorced from ground realities.

Apprising the media of a boat tragedy in Libya involving Pakistani nationals, he said that so far 16 dead bodies had been recovered, and the Pakistani nationality of the victims had been confirmed based on their passports.

“There are 37 survivors, including one in the hospital and 33 in police custody. Around 10 Pakistanis were reported missing in the accident, and three of the survivors are in Tripoli and are being looked after by the embassy.”

The spokesperson expressed concern over the death of two Kashmiri youths in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir due to the high-handed approach of Indian forces, and suicide by another after severe torture by police in Kathua District and coerced confession of links with militants despite being innocent.

“These incidents must be investigated, and the culprits must be held to account,” he emphasized.

Spokesperson Khan told the media that DPM Dar would participate in the high-level meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on February 18, 2025, to be chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Regarding the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Pakistan, he said at the 7th session of the Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in all spheres, including defense, trade and investment, banking, finance, education, health, energy, culture, tourism, transport and communication, agriculture, water, and science and technology.

Besides, the joint working groups have been renamed as standing committees and new joint standing committees, namely on security, defense and intelligence, health, and science and technology, have been established under the HLSCC mechanism.

Moreover, the two sides underscored the need for the resolution of all outstanding disputes between Pakistan and India, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UAE visit to attend the World Governments Summit, he said in the sidelines meetings with the leadership of UAE, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, they discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation and explore opportunities to enhance partnerships in areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, infrastructure, and energy.

To a question, the spokesperson ruled out any ban on UAE visas for Pakistani nationals; however, he said it was any country’s sovereign prerogative to allow anyone to enter their soil.

Asked to comment about a letter the PTI wrote to the IMF, the spokesperson said it was regrettable if anyone tried to undermine Pakistan’s economic prosperity. He said that during his recent UAE visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz had a “fruitful” meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

Regarding Ukraine, he said Pakistan would welcome any initiative to revive peace in Ukraine as the conflict had also affected Pakistan, like other parts of the world.

Earlier, Israeli officials suggested the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi territory. Netanyahu appeared to be joking on Thursday when he responded to an interviewer on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 who mistakenly said “Saudi state” instead of “Palestinian state”, before correcting himself.

Saudi Arabia affirmed its categorical rejection of remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about displacing Palestinians from their land, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

While the Saudi statement mentioned Netanyahu’s name, it did not directly refer to the comments about establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi territory.

Egypt and Jordan also condemned the Israeli suggestions, with Cairo deeming the idea as a “direct infringement of Saudi sovereignty”.

The kingdom said it valued “brotherly” states’ rejection of Netanyahu’s remarks.

“This occupying extremist mindset does not comprehend what the Palestinian territory means for the brotherly people of Palestine and its conscientious, historical and legal association with that land,” it said.