ISLAMABAD: A special session of the Senate is being convened to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Leader of the House in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem said a resolution condemning the Israeli aggression would also be passed during the session.

Observing that regional peace is at stake due to Israel’s violent actions involving bombardment claiming lives of children and women, and desecration of mosques, he said the government had evolved a comprehensive strategy for making contacts with Muslim countries and global leaders.

Dr Waseem said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in contact with his counterparts in various countries and he would raise the issue at the United Nations.

Both treasury and opposition assail Israeli atrocities

The opposition has also requisitioned the Senate session to condemn Israeli brutalities against innocent and unarmed Palestinians.

Speaking about the requisition for an extraordinary session of the upper house of parliament, Pakistan Peoples Party’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman said: “The motion for the requisitioned session of the Senate, which was signed by 49 opposition senators, demands an end to Israeli state terrorism and murderous attacks on Gaza, as well as the ongoing violent and illegal occupation of Palestinian lands in the worst example of settler colonialism.

“Pakistan has always condemned Israel’s use of disproportionate force and its deliberate policy of expanding illegal settlements forcing Palestinians to leave their homes, but the recent Israeli hostilities are the worst that this territory has seen since the 2014 war. Their security forces raided Al Aqsa mosque multiple times and used tear gas, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse worshippers at the mosque.

“At least 212 Palestinians have been killed in hundreds of airstrikes in Gaza, including 61 children and 37 women. About 34,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. There can be no normalisation of Israel’s actions which are a clear violation of international humanitarian laws; it must be held accountable for its one-sided aggression.

“Since there is no temporary truce, the medics in Gaza do not even have time to recover people from under collapsed buildings. The healthcare system in Gaza was already struggling because of the surge in coronavirus infections and now it is overwhelmed with the wounded. At this point Israel is deliberately targeting health facilities with air strikes, and bombing the roads surrounding al-Shifa, the largest medical centre in the Gaza Strip.

“It is important to do more than just issue statements that condemn Israel’s aggression, and this session should also serve as an important opportunity to share strategies that could lead to a just peace. Like always, Pakistan continues to stand with Palestine and support the people in their struggle. Unfortunately, so far whatever we have done has not been enough so we all must come together to find the path to ending this historic injustice.”

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2021