Pakistan regrets US veto of Gaza ceasefire resolution – FO

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has expressed “deep regret” over the US veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during her weekly briefing that Pakistan condemns the US decision to veto the Gaza ceasefire resolution, calling it deeply regrettable.

She further stated that Pakistan has serious concerns about the safe havens of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the foreign support these groups receive.

This external support poses a serious threat to Pakistan’s security and must be seriously considered by the international community.

The representative also addressed a letter from a member of the British Parliament about political and personal freedoms in Pakistan, which was circulated on social media. She clarified that the letter was an internal matter between the British Parliament and its member and was not officially handed over to Pakistan.

Regarding the proposal to appoint a special envoy for Afghanistan, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch denied the rumors, saying that special envoys of China and Russia for Afghanistan recently visited Pakistan and held meetings with Pakistani officials.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch also mentioned that Pakistan is holding talks with the US on security issues, including the transfer of ballistic missiles to terrorist groups.

It is noteworthy that the US vetoed Resolution on ceasefire in Gaza at the UN Security Council on November 20, saying it would give Hamas a boost.

The resolution called for an immediate end to the 13-month war in Gaza and demanded the release of Israeli citizens held by Hamas.

The US used its veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council to block the resolution.

The resolution demanded an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in the war between Israel and the Palestinian faction, as well as the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

But Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon argues that the resolution “was not a path to peace, it was a road map leading to more terror, more suffering and more bloodshed.”

Robert Wood, deputy ambassador to the UN, said the US position remains unchanged: “there must be a link between the ceasefire and the release of the hostages.”