ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Iran have jointly condemned Israel’s unrestrained military aggression in the Middle East, its genocidal actions against innocent civilians and its illegal measures in occupied territories.
Addressing a joint news conference along with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi here on Tuesday, after their bilateral talks, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Israeli actions are in violation of international law and the UN Charter and contribute to the root cause of all tensions in the Middle East.
The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s call for establishing a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of Pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Ishaq Dar said we reject the propensity by occupying powers to equate the right to self-determination with terrorism, which is nothing, but a ploy to prolong their occupation and apartheid policies.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the longstanding Palestinian and Jammu and Kashmir issues must be addressed through peaceful means by fully respecting the rights and aspirations of the affected populations in line with the relevant UN resolutions and the Charter.
Ishaq Dar said during the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister, they also discussed ways and means to enhance cooperation across several key areas including trade, energy and border security.
He said the two sides have agreed to intensify collaboration on border management and address shared challenges.
The Foreign Minister said they have underscored that terrorism and extremism pose a serious threat to the regional peace and pledged to coordinate joint efforts to eradicate these challenges.
In his remarks on the occasion, the Iranian Foreign Minister appreciated Pakistan’s strong and clear stance in condemning the Israeli aggression against Iran.
He said his country does not seek escalation in the region. However, he said we reserve our right to legitimize defence under the UN Charter.
The Iranian Foreign Minister reiterated the commitment to further strengthen the brotherly relations with Pakistan in all areas including economy, trade, politics and culture.
TALKS AT FOREIGN OFFICE
Earlier, both the foreign minister held delegation level talks at the Foreign Office.
They noted the longstanding ties between Pakistan and Iran and emphasized the need to strengthen these relations through increased trade, energy cooperation, and enhanced border management. They expressed commitment to exploring avenues for enhancing trade, investment and people-to-people contacts.
The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister expressed Pakistan’s strong interest in deepening bilateral dialogue and cooperation to explore opportunities for regional connectivity.
The Iranian Foreign Minister echoed these sentiments, affirming Iran’s readiness to collaborate on mutually beneficial initiatives and promote regional cooperation.
They underscored a shared vision for responding to common challenges through coordinated efforts. Both the sides strongly condemned the Israeli genocidal acts in Gaza and expressed their common resolve in supporting the inalienable right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.
Reaffirming the unique relationship between Pakistan and Iran, the two sides committed to working together for mutual benefit of the two countries and peoples.
Later, addressing a gathering of scholars, religious leaders and media at the Iranian embassy, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran is not scared of Israel and ready for war.
He expressed Iran’s satisfaction over the strongest Pakistani condemnation of Israeli aggression against Iran.
He said he was hopeful of OIC role in the Muslim world. He said next week OIC FMs meeting is being called in Jeddah which would discuss the Middle East crisis.