PM Shehbaz hails Spain for recognising Palestine as state

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday welcomed the announcement by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to formally recognise Palestine as a state.

The prime minister said in a statement that Spain’s acceptance of Palestine as a state is a positive development in the global scene.

He said that the Spanish people, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, rejected Israeli barbarism against the defenseless Palestinians

PM Shehbaz also strongly condemned the recent unprovoked Israeli bombing of Rafah which martyred another 45 Palestinian people, and reiterated his call for an immediate end to the genocide of the Palestinian population being carried out by Israel.

The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to continue extending moral, political and diplomatic support to the Palestinian people till the establishment of an independent Palestine state with Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz also expressed deep admiration for the recent decision taken by the Governments of Ireland and Norway to recognise the state of Palestine.

It is pertinent to mention here that Spain on Tuesday officially announced to recongnise Palestinian state.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said Spain has recognised a Palestinian state including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, unified under the Palestinian National Authority with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In his televised address, Sanchez said Spain would not recognise any changes to Palestinian borders after 1967 unless all the parties agree on them.

Sanchez said recognising a Palestinian state is “essential for reaching peace” in the Middle East.

Sanchez, who announced his country’s decision before parliament last week, has spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for the recognition and for a ceasefire in Gaza.