Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Tuesday highlighted Pakistan’s historical commitment to the Palestinian cause, emphasising the importance of recognising the legitimate political organisation, Hamas, and its significant role in representing the Palestinian people.
Addressing the Senate session convened to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza, Senator Mushahid quoted the legacy of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, underscoring the strong solidarity between Pakistan and Palestine and drew attention to the deep-rooted historical connections between the two nations.
Referring to Israel’s recent bombardment of hospitals in Gaza, Senator Mushahid condemned these actions as “war crimes”, calling for an immediate cessation of such heinous acts.
He recounted the historic Lahore gathering of March 23, 1940, which saw the passing of two seminal resolutions – the first emphasising the self-determination of Muslims in the subcontinent and the second advocating for the rights of the Palestinian people.
Mushahid highlighted Pakistan’s strong solidarity with Palestine, referencing the formal invitation extended to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) at the 1974 OIC in Pakistan, where Yasir Arafat was in attendance.
Emphasising the democratic process in Gaza, Mushahid underscored the legitimacy of the elected party, Hamas, and its subsequent rise to power following what were deemed as fair elections in the Middle East.
In 2006, he noted, the foreign minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian government visited Pakistan, and the country extended crucial financial aid to its brotherly nation.
Pointing to Pakistan’s historical role in the Arab-Israeli conflicts, he highlighted the nation’s unwavering support for Arab countries in the face of Israeli aggression.
Mushahid also criticised the role of certain Western countries, urging an end to their double standards and hypocritical policies and highlighted the need for a unified global stance against Israeli aggression.
Further, he called upon Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to appeal to parliaments of Western nations through a letter, urging them to take a decisive stand against Israel’s atrocities.
The Senate chairman agreed to forward such along with resolution to be passed by the Senate in this session.
Senator Dilawar Khan emphasised the need for increased support and aid to the Palestinian people, and Senator Mohsin Aziz proposed a one-month salary donation by senators to assist the distressed people of Gaza.
Senator Quratulain Marri underscored the significance of the recent UN resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling for heightened pressure on Israel to adhere to the resolution’s provisions.
Speaking on the motion, Sherry Rehman termed Israeli aggression “state-sponsored terrorism”.
She said that even Save the Children – an international organisation – reported that thousands of children in Gaza had lost their lives.
Israel had launched a second ground attack on Gaza and innocent civilians, including children, women and old people, were being targeted intentionally, she said.
The senator said even hospitals and aid conveys were not spared which was a blatant violation of the Geneva Convention.
“Such things might have happened in darks ages earlier,” she added.
She said it was a “state-sponsored terrorism” and all international laws were violated in this occupation war. Unfortunately, she said, many western powers were also sponsoring this war.
She said innocent people were trapped in volcanized Palestine and they were being massacred. They (people of Palestine) were not being given the right to live and it was the worst type of genocide, she said.
Read the full story at the express tribune website.
