PM Kakar's China visit to usher in new era of cooperation.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has condemned Israel for 'committing a genocide' against Palestinians and said the grave situation stemmed from seven decades of illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.

He expressed these views in a meeting with Chairman and CEO of Pakistan Observer, Mr Faisal Zahid Malik who called on him at the Foreign Office here Monday.

The interim foreign minister said the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories could further escalate if the emergency steps were not taken to stop the Israeli aggression and provide food and other necessities to the people who have been forced to live under permanent siege.

'Any attempt to equate Israel, which is an aggressor, with the Palestinian struggle, is unacceptable for Pakistan,' he said adding Pakistan had always demanded that the Palestinian right to self-determination should be respected. He said an emergency and extraordinary meeting of the OIC Executive Committee would take place in Jeddah on October 18 to discuss the situation in Gaza.

To a question regarding provision of emergency humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, he said Pakistan was in touch with the international community and Muslim countries, but unfortunately, Israel has enforced a 'complete siege of Gaza'.

The member states would deliberate upon the coordinated response of OIC member countries on how to end violence perpetrated by Israel and provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.

Pakistan is ready to provide humanitarian assistance and is in touch with the Egyptian authorities,' he added.

About Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar's upcoming visit to China on the invitation of President Xi Jinping to attend the 10-year celebrations of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Foreign Minister said China was...