At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Pakistan advocates for a ceasefire in Gaza, while expressing continued support for the expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel's military offensive against the Palestinians, calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) heads of state meeting in China.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops are currently operating in parts of Gaza City, with the intention of taking over the most populous Palestinian city. This offensive, approved by the Israeli security cabinet and supported by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has led to a significant increase in violence and loss of life. According to Palestinian health officials, Israeli strikes on Thursday killed 28 people, raising the death toll from Israel's two-year war to 64,000.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system recently declared that Gaza City is in famine, with around 514,000 people experiencing it. The city, home to around a million people, many of whom have been displaced multiple times, is now facing a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions.
In a stark contrast, Prime Minister Sharif was in China for the SCO summit, where he held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. During these meetings, Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering support for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key strategic ally for Pakistan, with China pouring in tens of billions in energy and infrastructure development projects in the South Asian country.
The PM lauded the significance of the CPEC as a flagship project of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. He also reaffirmed the desire to continue working closely with China for the successful implementation of the next phase of upgraded CPEC, which focuses on growth, livelihood, and innovation, and reinforces Pakistan's national development framework centered on '5 Es,' representing exports, e-Pakistan, energy, environment, and equity.
In this phase, the CPEC will focus on building an even stronger Pakistan-China community with a shared future, as outlined in the second phase of CPEC. Both countries signed 21 memorandums of understanding and joint ventures worth $4.2 billion to enhance business-to-business (B2B) cooperation in diverse areas.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has consistently condemned Israel's war on Gaza. The country advocates for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, Pakistan has called for an uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Palestinian territory to alleviate the suffering of the people there. The international community must come together to find a peaceful solution to this ongoing conflict and ensure the protection of human rights for all.
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