Pakistan says atrocities in Palestine, Serbia must not go ‘unnoticed'
Chaudhry was in Potočari, Bosnia, where he took part in a solemn memorial service in remembrance of the 30th anniversary of the 1995 killings in Srebenica. According to the UN, the Bosnian Serb army overran Srebrenica in July 1995, previously declared a safe area under a UN Security Council resolution, and brutally murdered thousands of men and teenagers there.
Chaudhry laid a floral wreath at the memorial site, paying tribute to those who were massacred in the event 30 years ago. He also spoke about the rights of the people of Gaza, where Israel has killed at least 57,882 Palestinians since the start of the war in 2023, according to the health ministry there.
'Aun Chaudhary stressed that atrocities whether in Serbia, Palestine, Kashmir or anywhere else in the world must not go unnoticed,' state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
He reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering commitment to the protection of human rights globally, expressing solidarity with oppressed communities in Palestine and Kashmir, the state broadcaster said.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, has consistently criticized Tel Aviv and called on world powers to intervene for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Islamabad has repeatedly demanded an independent Palestinian state, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital and as per the pre-June 1967 border.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Pakistan's performance under $7 billion program has been ‘strong so far,' IMF representative says
ISLAMABAD: Mahir Binici, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) country representative for Pakistan, has described Islamabad's performance under a $7 billion IMF loan program as being 'strong so far,' the Islamabad-based Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) think tank said on Sunday. Binici said this in his guest lecture at the Institute, during which he shed light on the evolving economic landscape across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Pakistan. Pakistan narrowly avoided a sovereign default in mid-2023 thanks to a shorter $3 billion IMF facility. In Sept. last year, Islamabad secured the 37-month, $7 billion program after meeting targets under the previous arrangement. The IMF representative said Pakistan's successful completion of the first review of its loan program, secured last year, by the IMF executive board in May 2025 was a 'key milestone.' 'Early policy measures have helped restore macroeconomic stability and rebuild investor confidence, despite persistent external challenges,' Binici was quoted as saying in an SDPI statement. He, however, cautioned that 'elevated trade tensions, geopolitical fragmentation, and weakening global cooperation continue to generate exceptional uncertainty and weigh on the global economic outlook,' underlining the urgent need for prudent and forward-looking policy actions. 'Growth across the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) region, and Pakistan is expected to strengthen in 2025 and beyond,' Binici said. The IMF representative reaffirmed the global lender's continued support for Pakistan's economic and climate reforms agenda. 'Structural reforms remain central to Pakistan's long-term economic sustainability, particularly reforms that strengthen tax equity, improve the business climate, and encourage private-sector-led investment,' he said. Binici's comments came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif defended his government's structural reform agenda, particularly in tax administration, saying that difficult and often unpopular decisions were necessary to rebuild national institutions as the country could no longer afford 'business as usual.' Speaking at a session of the Uraan Pakistan youth development program, he said his administration took on the 'onerous task' of stabilizing the economy under immense pressure, choosing to pursue long-delayed reforms rather than temporary fixes. 'Pakistan had to undertake these long-overdue, deep structural changes, if we had to find our lost place in the comity of nations through hard and untiring efforts,' he said. Sharif noted the transition from paper-based tax systems to digital and AI-led processes was already bearing fruit and his administration had prioritized accountability and removing senior revenue officials accused of corruption, resisting political pressure in doing so. 'It's a long and thorny journey,' he said, assuring merit would remain the cornerstone of his governance model. 'We are facing bumps on the way and mountain-like impediments. But I can assure you, we will not shy away from discharging our responsibility.'
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Israeli missile hits Gaza children collecting water
JERUSALEM: At least eight Palestinians, most of them children, were killed and more than a dozen were wounded in central Gaza when they went to collect water on Sunday, local officials said, in an Israeli strike which the military said missed its target. The Israeli military said the missile had intended to hit an Islamic Jihad militant in the area but that a malfunction had caused it to fall 'dozens of meters from the target.' 'The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians,' it said in a statement, adding that the incident was under review. The strike hit a water distribution point in Nuseirat refugee camp, killing six children and injuring 17 others, said Ahmed Abu Saifan, an emergency physician at Al-Awda Hospital. Water shortages in Gaza have worsened sharply in recent weeks, with fuel shortages causing desalination and sanitation facilities to close, making people dependent on collection centers where they can fill up their plastic containers. Hours later, 12 people were killed by an Israeli strike on a market in Gaza City, including a prominent hospital consultant, Ahmad Qandil, Palestinian media reported. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attack. Gaza's health ministry said on Sunday that more than 58,000 people had been killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, with 139 people added to the death toll over the past 24 hours. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its tally, but says over half of those killed are women and children. Talks stalled Negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire appeared to be deadlocked, with the two sides divided over the extent of an eventual Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources said at the weekend. The indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire are being held in Doha, but optimism that surfaced last week of a looming deal has largely faded, with both sides accusing each other of intransigence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video he posted on Telegram on Sunday said Israel would not back down from its core demands — releasing all the hostages still in Gaza, destroying Hamas and ensuring Gaza will never again be a threat to Israel. Netanyahu was expected to convene ministers later on Sunday to discuss the ceasefire talks. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive. Israel's campaign against Hamas has displaced almost the entire population of more than 2 million people, but Gazans say nowhere is safe in the coastal enclave. Early on Sunday morning, a missile hit a house in Gaza City where a family had moved to after receiving an evacuation order from their home in the southern outskirts. 'My aunt, her husband and the children, are gone. What is the fault of the children who died in an ugly bloody massacre at dawn?' said Anas Matar, standing in the rubble of the building. 'They came here, and they were hit. There is no safe place in Gaza,' he said.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistani commerce minister embarks on ‘pivotal' UK visit to deepen economic ties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan has embarked on a 'pivotal' official visit to the United Kingdom (UK) from July 14 till July 20 to strengthen economic ties between the two countries, Khan's ministry said on Sunday. The minister is accompanied by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul and this high-level visit aims to deepen bilateral commercial ties, strengthen institutional frameworks, and open new avenues for trade and investment between Pakistan and the UK. Khan will engage with major Chambers of Commerce in London and Birmingham to advance bilateral trade and explore opportunities in emerging sectors, besides highlighting Pakistan's export potential and fostering greater business-to-business collaboration. 'One of the central moments of the visit will be the signing of the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the Pakistan-UK Trade Dialogue,' the commerce ministry said. 'This formalization marks a significant step toward institutionalizing bilateral trade cooperation, injecting greater standardization, transparency, and predictability into the economic relationship between the two countries.' The UK maintains zero-tariff access of Pakistan's exports post-Brexit, making it Pakistan's largest European and third-largest individual export partner, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry. The Pakistan-UK trade in goods and services reached £4.7 billion in 2024, an increase of 7.3 percent, or £320 million, compared to the previous year, according to the UK government data. Of this £4.7 billion, UK exports to Pakistan amounted to £2.2 billion, while its imports from Pakistan amounted to £2.5 billion. During his visit, the Pakistani commerce minister is scheduled to meet with members of the UK's All Parties Parliamentary Group (APPG), where he will advocate for stronger political support in enhancing trade and investment flows, according to the commerce ministry. These discussions will aim to align parliamentary efforts with Pakistan's broader economic diplomacy goals and strengthen long-term partnerships. 'Khan will interact with leading UK-based multi-million-dollar companies from key sectors such as food processing, information technology, engineering, fintech, and capital investment. These meetings aim to showcase Pakistan's economic potential and attract targeted investments into high-growth industries,' the commerce ministry said. 'The visit also includes important meetings with the UK Pakistan Business Council, Pakistan Britain Business Council, and UK Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry. These discussions will focus on strengthening institutional trade linkages and leveraging diaspora-led initiatives to boost trade volumes and visibility in the UK market.' Pakistan is currently striving to draw overseas investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn that forced Islamabad to seek external financing from friendly nations and multiple loan programs from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Khan's visit follows another trip to the UK in June by Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's aide on privatization, Muhammad Ali, who held meetings with executives from renowned firms, including TTB Partners, STJ Partners, Deutsche Bank, Berenberg Bank, and Amundi Fund Group, to spotlight Pakistan's privatization roadmap and its growing potential as a hub for strategic, long-term investment. The Pakistani commerce ministry said Khan's visit marks a 'renewed thrust in Pakistan's efforts to advance economic diplomacy, diversify export markets, and solidify its commercial footprint in global markets like the United Kingdom.'
