Palestinian President Mehmood Abbas, who arrived here on Friday on an official visit, accompanied by the Palestinian Foreign Minister and a team of political and economic advisors, held talks with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on bilateral and regional issues particularly the situation in the Middle East.
He was received by the Federal Minister for Health Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Palestine's ambassador and senior officials at the PAF Base Chaklala. President Asif Ali Zardari, in a meeting with the Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas said, "Pakistan believes that peace will remain elusive in the Middle East unless the Palestinian problem is resolved."
He assured Pakistan's complete support to their just cause for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state of their own with Al-Quds as its capital.
The Palestinian President was accompanied by Dr Riad N A Malki, Foreign Minister, Azzam N M Alahmad, Head of majority Palestinian Legislative Council, Mohammad A Mm Mustafa, President of Palestine investment fund and Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan Hazem Abushanab.
President Asif Ali Zardari while condemning the brutal Israeli invasion of Gaza and its continued blockade said that Pakistan strongly oppose the construction of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian lands. He said that Pakistan favours an early settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of two-state solution.
"Pakistan supports all efforts aimed at resolving the Palestinian dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions acceptable to the Palestinian people," said Asif Ali Zardari. He said Pakistan was also opposed to all measures, which could change the situation on ground including settlements, separation wall, excavations beneath the Al-Aqsa mosque and evictions of Palestinians from their homes, till resettlement is reached.
The President expressed concerns over the current stalemate and deadlock in the peace process which has implications for peace in the region and beyond. Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Health Minster Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Secretary General to the President Salman Faruqui, Chairman Board of Investment Salim H Mandviwala and other senior officials also attended the meeting.
Meanwhile in a separate meeting with the Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas , Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said, "We support the full realisation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people including the establishment of an independent State with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital." Prime Minister said that Pakistan has and will continue to steadfastly support the total withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Arab territories.
"We demand that the illegal Israeli settlements and construction activities in the West Bank and atrocities and repression must come to an end forthwith," Gilani said while speaking at a banquet he hosted in honour of President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine here at the PM House.
The Banquet was attended by the members of Palestinian delegation and a large number of Pakistan federal ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats and senior officials. Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan will also continue to play its due role at the United Nations in supporting the legitimate demands of people under occupation including the people of Palestine.
"To all Pakistanis and people striving for the right to self-determination the peaceful struggle of the Palestinian people is inspirational. We are confident that the Palestinian people will achieve full Statehood through their legitimate and peaceful struggle," he added.
The Prime Minister said the Palestinian struggle for statehood and for the right to self-determination finds resonance in Pakistan, adding "our brothers in Kashmir face a similar occupation and are also struggling to realise their right to self-determination."
He recalled that Pakistan hosted the 1974 OIC Summit under the direction of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Shaheed. "That Summit was aimed at developing collective wisdom on issues concerning the Muslim World particularly on the Palestine issue and to establish linkages with the international community to resolve them in the interest of peace, security and progress, world over," he added.
Prime Minister Gilani said the 1974 Conference recognised President Yasser Arafat's leadership role in promoting the just cause of the Palestinian people. "President Arafat was, as Benazir Bhutto Shaheed had said, the symbol of Palestinian identity, nationhood and its struggle for a separate homeland for the Palestinian people."
Speaking on the occasion Palestinian President said we are focused and working for establishing a complete Palestinian state and for that we are inviting the international community to support us for this cause and stand with us. He said that Al Quds-ul-Sharif (Jerusalem) would be the capital of independent Palestinian state.
"We hope that we would invite our Pakistani brothers to offer prayer in Aqsa Mosque soon after establishment of a Palestinian state," he said. While appreciating Pakistan's efforts he said that it always helped us in difficult times and we hope this will continue. He said that Pakistani people have friendly relations with each other and he considers it as a second home. "We don't feel ourselves strangers in Pakistan," he added.