ISLAMABAD: Taking a firm stance at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, Pakistan implored the tribunal not to allow Israel to get away with its ongoing violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

Caretaker Minister for Law and Justice Ahmed Irfan Aslam emphasised that Israel’s occupation was not only unlawful but that allowing it to benefit from such actions would undermine the ICJ’s role in upholding justice.

“The ICJ would fail to discharge its judicial functions if it did not stop Israel from profiting from its own continued grave wrongs,” he maintained.

During the presentation, part of advisory proceedings initiated through a December 2022 request from the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Aslam highlighted the critical need to address the legal consequences of Israel’s protracted occupation and its detrimental effects on the Palestinian population.

Allowing Tel Aviv to continue its policies will undermine ICJ’s role in upholding justice, says caretaker minister

He argued that Israel’s policies, which include illegal settlements and systematic racial discrimination amounting to apartheid, violate international humanitarian law and human rights, and thus, should not go unchecked.

The minister further criticised Israel’s settler policy for creating “irreversible changes on the ground” and perpetuating the unlawful occupation. He called on the ICJ to acknowledge the grave implications of these policies on Palestinian rights and the broader violations of international norms.

Against the backdrop of increasing violence against Palestinians by Israeli forces, Pakistan reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian cause. Islamabad called for an immediate ceasefire, sustained humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a viable solution that establishes a sovereign Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

The ICJ hearings have witnessed various delegations denouncing Israel’s conduct, with accusations ranging from colonialism to ethnic cleansing and genocide. The South African delegation notably related Israel’s actions to their own historical fight against apartheid.

Israel has dismissed the ICJ’s advisory proceedings as illegitimate, advocating for a political resolution to the conflict over a legal one. This stance further underscores the international divide over achieving peace in the Middle East.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2024