UNITED NATIONS, Nov 9: Pakistan has called upon the international community to take urgent measures for bringing an end to the violence in Middle East and facilitate the resumption of the peace process for establishment of lasting peace in the region.

Addressing the Economic Issues Committee of the UN General Assembly here on Sunday, Pakistan’s delegate Ms Sumaira Malik spoke on ‘Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory.’

She said the deterioration in the economic and social conditions of the Palestinians and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan emanated from foreign occupation.

“Durable peace can only be achieved by recognizing and providing the people under foreign occupation their right to self- determination,” she said.

Ms Malik said Pakistan had unequivocally supported the just struggle for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people as it supported all those people suffering under alien occupation or foreign domination.

“We believe that there can be no lasting peace in the Middle Ease without the attainment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. These include return of all occupied territories to the control of the Palestinian Authority, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al Quds as its capital. We hope that the faithful implementation of the Quartet’s ‘roadmap’ and resumption of dialogue between the two parties would lay the foundations for a permanent peace in the Middle East.”

“A durable settlement of the Middle East question by definition must also include the restoration of the Syrian Golan.” A durable peace, she maintained “is simply not possible in the absence of justice.”

“We will, therefore, like to reiterate that there can be no lasting security without lasting peace and lasting peace can only be ensured by adhering to the principles of justice and international law.” —APP