ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Senate on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about forging alliances with India and other countries to counter what he described as “radical axes” in the Muslim world.
The resolution, moved by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party, deplored what lawmakers called provocative statements and policies by the Israeli leadership that threaten regional and international peace.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu outlined a vision for what he described as a “hexagon of alliances” in and around the Middle East. According to Israeli media reports, he cited countries including India, Greece and Cyprus, along with unnamed Arab, African and Asian states, as potential partners in what he framed as a strategic bloc against radical forces.
Pakistan’s upper house characterized the remarks as an attempt to create divisions within the Muslim world and undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Islamic countries.
The Senate also condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state — a move announced in December that made Israel the first country to formally recognize the breakaway region of Somalia. The decision drew criticism from Pakistan and several other nations, as well as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
In its resolution, the Senate further denounced what it described as continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and alleged disregard for international law, United Nations resolutions and advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice.
Lawmakers rejected any attempt to alter the legal and historical status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and opposed settlement expansion and the forced displacement of Palestinians.
The resolution urged the international community to hold Israel accountable and called for a full withdrawal from occupied territories, expanded humanitarian assistance to Gaza — including support through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East — and the initiation of reconstruction efforts.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s longstanding position, the Senate expressed support for the establishment of an independent and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
The unanimous vote reflected rare consensus across party lines in Pakistan’s deeply polarized political landscape, underscoring the enduring resonance of the Palestinian issue in the country’s foreign policy discourse.
Leave a Reply