Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday welcomed the announcement of the long-awaited ceasefire in Palestine and appreciated the arduous efforts for mediation rendered by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, USA, Egypt and other international partners.
In a message on his official X timeline, the premier termed the ceasefire as a vital agreement.
“It is imperative that provision of urgently needed humanitarian assistance is immediately restored to Gaza and other war-torn areas,” the Prime Minister said.
PM Shehbaz hoped that the ceasefire agreement would be honoured in its true letter and spirit.
He reiterated that Pakistan stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people and paid homage to the sacrifices of tens of thousands of innocent people who lost their lives as victims of Israeli atrocities over the past several decades.
“Pakistan reaffirms its call for a two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, i.e. the creation of an independent state of Palestine with pre-1967 boundaries and Al Quds as its capital,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) welcomed the Gaza ceasefire and called for its immediate and full implementation.
In a statement, FO Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan hoped that the truce would lead to permanent ceasefire and help in scaling up humanitarian assistance.
The spokesperson said indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupation forces has caused unprecedented loss of lives and property and displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian Palestinians.
He said Israel's expansionist designs have destabilized the entire region.
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan's support for a just, comprehensive, and durable solution to the Palestinian issue, leading to the establishment of a sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
On Wednesday night, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas had been reached to end a 15-month war in besieged Gaza enclave.
This was announced by the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, in a statement last night, following the recent round of talks in Doha.
As per the mediators, the deal will go into effect on Sunday and starts with a 42-day period that would see the release of 33 Israeli captives and a number of Palestinian prisoners.