Pakistan calls for end to Israel's occupation of Palestine at meeting convened by France, UK, Canada

Pakistan calls for end to Israel's occupation of Palestine at session convened by France, UK, Canada.

Key points

• News Desk Published September 23, 2026 Updated September 23, 2026 10: 47pm.
• Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held multiple meetings on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
• The session was convened by France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, and the UK's PM Andy Burnham.
• During his ongoing New York trip, PM Shehbaz additionally met with world leaders of Kuwait, Kenya, Austria, Somalia, Syria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• In a session with Bosnian Presidency Chairman Denis Becirovic, the prime minister congratulated him on the formal opening of Bosnia and Herzegovina's European Union accession negotiations.

News Desk Published September 23, 2026 Updated September 23, 2026 10: 47pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has pressed an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories at a high-level gathering convened by France, the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada.

Dar delivered Pakistan's statement at the High-Level International Session on the Two-State Solution, titled "The Road Ahead: One Year After the New York Declaration and the Comprehensive 20-point Peace Plan", the Foreign Office (FO) stated on Wednesday.

For context, the session was convened by France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, and the UK's PM Andy Burnham. The opening statements were additionally delivered by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

Highlighting a number of initiatives that Pakistan has been a part of on the Palestine problem, Dar noted: "Ultimately, all these efforts must converge on one objective: ending the occupation and realising the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination."

He reiterated Islamabad's call for an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

"Pakistan will continue to play its constructive role towards this objective, " the deputy premier reaffirmed.

"Diplomacy must respond to the realities on the ground, " he emphasised to the attendees. It included various heads of states and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (via video).

Spain's President Pedro Sánchez, Qatari PM and FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Egypt's PM Mostafa Madbouly, Jordan's DPM and FM Ayman Safadi, Norway's PM Jonas Gahr Støre and Ireland's Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin additionally attended the gathering.

Other participants included European Council President António Costa, Finland's President Alexander Stubb, the Netherlands ' PM Rob Jetten, Türkiye's Hakan Fidan, and High Representative for Gaza of the Board of Peace Nickolay Mladenov.

DPM Dar recalled that Pakistan had endorsed the September 2025 "New York Declaration" that backed the two-state solution, was part of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic countries that backed the Gaza peace plan, and had voted for a UN Security Council resolution that backed that plan.

Meanwhile, the deputy premier emphasised that these processes were "complementary elements of a broader political and diplomatic pathway towards peace, and these must reinforce one another".

He declared: "Our objective throughout has been clear: to end the killing and suffering of innocent Palestinians, ensure unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance and advance a credible political horizon leading to Palestinian statehood."

According to Dar, violations of the ceasefire and the "catastrophic human toll in Gaza, alongside the expansion of illegal settlements and settler violence in the West Bank, remain matters of grave concern".

"This machinery of occupation is eroding the territorial and political foundations on which a viable Palestinian state must be built. It must stop, and stop immediately, " he asserted.

According to DPM Dar, the New York Declaration provided an "important political framework for translating international consensus into concrete action".

"Its implementation, together with the Gaza Peace Plan and Resolution 2803, must ensure a permanent ceasefire, safe and sustained humanitarian assistance, immediate recovery and reconstruction, and create the conditions for a credible, irreversible and time-bound political process."

In his remarks at the session, the UN chief cautioned that the two-state solution was at risk of collapse against the backdrop of illegal Israeli settlement expansion and annexation.

"For Palestinians and all those who care about peace in the Middle East, support for two States must go beyond words, " Guterres informed leaders on the occasion.

Meanwhile, a day earlier, the Group of Eight. It includes Pakistan, met in New York and issued a joint statement calling for Israel to "immediately fulfil its outstanding commitments".

Much of Gaza remains in ruins from two years of relentless Israeli bombing that began on Oct 7, 2023.

Notably, a US-backed ceasefire accord was struck in October 2025, but the plan has stalled and Israeli forces remain inside Gaza after the country rejected a plan that stated Hamas would surrender weapons. PM Shehbaz meets Bill Gates, world leaders.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held multiple meetings on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The premier is due to address the summit on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the prime minister met with Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates. This person stressed that polio eradication efforts in Pakistan were "vital to protect future generations".

PM Shehbaz appreciated Gates Foundation's engagement with Pakistan to backing polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunisation, digitisation and financial inclusion, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated in a post on X.

"The prime minister complimented the Gates Foundation for being a trusted partner in Pakistan's socio-economic development and expressed interest in broadening collaboration in areas including public health, agriculture, digital innovation and AI, " PMO remarked.

PM Shehbaz and Gates additionally "agreed to explore opportunities for collaboration in the development of improved seeds, livestock genetics and emerging agricultural technologies", according to PMO.

Notably, the two committed to "further strengthening and expanding partnerships that support sustainable development, technological advancement and improved social sector outcomes for the people of Pakistan". PM Shehbaz invited the Microsoft co-founder to visit Pakistan.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic.

As part of efforts to fight the virus, week-long polio campaigns were introduced in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 13 districts of Punjab on Monday.

In a session with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Islamabad's robust commitment to its historic and fraternal relations with Damascus, reiterating backing for Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.

"The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, including through enhanced high-level exchanges, activation of institutional mechanisms, and cooperation in trade and investment, education, information technology and other areas of mutual interest, " a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) read.

PM Shehbaz stressed Pakistan's readiness to contribute to Syria's reconstruction and underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and respect for the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

"The two leaders also exchanged views on the regional situation, " the PMO continued.

"The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan's steadfast support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and for a just and lasting resolution of the Palestine issue in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and international law."

Additionally, today's session presented an opportunity to "reaffirm the longstanding bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Syria and to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the years ahead".

Meanwhile, in a session with Bosnian Presidency Chairman Denis Becirovic, the prime minister congratulated him on the formal opening of Bosnia and Herzegovina's European Union accession negotiations.

According to PMO, Becirovic praised Pakistan's mediation efforts for de-escalation in the Gulf, adding that "he also fully supported Pakistan's position" on the illegality of holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.

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