Imran Khan, Chairman PTI, in his address on Al Quds Day at the Iranian embassy on 25[SUP]th[/SUP] August, highlighted the support of the Pakistani nation and its founder Quaid-i-Azam Monahmmed Ali Jinnah for the just cause and struggle of the Palestinian people. He reiterated his Partys commitment to the same principles. Following is the text of his speech.
The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohd Ali Jinnah, as early as 26[SUP]th[/SUP] December 1938, in an address to the All India Muslim League in Patna, declared his support for the struggle of the Palestinians. He declared that:
Muslim feelings have been stirred over the issue of Palestine. I know Muslims will not shirk from any sacrifice if required to help the Arabs who are engaged in the fight for their national freedom. ... no nation, no people who are worth living as a nation, can achieve anything great without making great sacrifices, such as the Arabs of Palestine are making. All our sympathies are with those valiant martyrs who are fighting the battle of freedom against usurpers. They are being subjected to monstrous injustices.
At a time when the world is focused on what is being termed the Arab Spring, Al Quds Day is a timely reminder of the reality of the Zionist tyranny being waged against the Palestinian people. Al Quds Day also reminds us of the Zionist effort to destroy Muslim Holy places after they occupied Al Quds the arson attack on Al Aqsa Mosque symbolising this criminal intent.
But Al Quds Day also shows the centrality of Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause for the Muslim Ummah. It was this that brought the Muslim World together to create the Organisation of the Islamic Conference at the first OIC Summit in Rabat on 25[SUP]th[/SUP] Sept 1969.
Along with the denial of the right of self determination to the Kashmiri people despite UN Security Council Resolutions, the Palestinians continue to be deprived of their right to a Palestinian state despite UN resolutions. Not only that, they continue to being subjected to forceful seizure of their land and property by the Zionist entity Israel with its policy of illegal occupation of Palestinian land and creeping annexation through illegal Settlements which have been condemned by the international community in no uncertain terms.
PTI supports the Pakistani position of a Palestinian state with Al Quds as its capital and calls upon the US to stop aiding and abetting in the Zionist killings of innocent Palestinians as well as the deprivation of access to the basics of life for the people of Gaza. Unless there is a just resolution of the Palestinian issue, the fallout will continue to be violence and militancy and billions of dollars will be effectively wasted on an aimless so-called war on terror with thousands of innocent lives lost. Israel is guilty of state terrorism and the international community must take note of this form of terrorism if it seeks to fight the menace of terrorism across the globe.
Following the path charted by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Pakistan has a long history of supporting freedom struggles by Muslims. Even when the state was in its infancy, it stood in the forefront of the struggle for independence being waged by the Tunisians and Algerians. Tunisian leader Bourguiba travelled on a Pakistani passport as did Algerian leader Farhat Abbas and our embassy in Paris provided all manner of assistance and support to these freedom struggles. In the 1973 Arab-Israeli War two Pakistani pilots flew Syrian fighter planes and downed Israeli aircraft. Pakistan has been a steady if modest annual contributor to the Al Quds Fund through the OIC, to support protection of Muslim Holy sites and raise a peaceful voice against the atrocities and human rights violations of Zionism.
That is why my party PTI totally condemns any effort by a Pakistani leader to hold backdoor negotiations with officials and leaders of Israel while the latter continues with its illegal and increasing occupation of Palestinian lands and with its policy of violence against the Palestinian people. Whatever decision is taken with regard to Israel should be taken through the OIC collectivity. After all the OIC came together because of the Muslim Ummahs commitment to the Palestinian cause across the globe. Again Pakistan was in the forefront of this movement with the remarkable OIC summit of Lahore in 1974. To betray this trust of the Pakistani people through backdoor deal making as a result of unholy compromises and pressure from the US, is simply not acceptable.
We will never allow the Palestinian and Kashmiri causes based on the right of self determination to be betrayed by corrupt rulers working for foreign interests. That is why I stand here today to commemorate Al Quds Day, and commend Iran for taking this initiative, which reminds us all of the promises and the Ummahs unfulfilled commitments to Muslim people suffering under occupation and tyranny. Unless we make good on these commitments we will never truly liberate all our people from the yoke of tyranny and imperialism in all its forms.
The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohd Ali Jinnah, as early as 26[SUP]th[/SUP] December 1938, in an address to the All India Muslim League in Patna, declared his support for the struggle of the Palestinians. He declared that:
Muslim feelings have been stirred over the issue of Palestine. I know Muslims will not shirk from any sacrifice if required to help the Arabs who are engaged in the fight for their national freedom. ... no nation, no people who are worth living as a nation, can achieve anything great without making great sacrifices, such as the Arabs of Palestine are making. All our sympathies are with those valiant martyrs who are fighting the battle of freedom against usurpers. They are being subjected to monstrous injustices.
At a time when the world is focused on what is being termed the Arab Spring, Al Quds Day is a timely reminder of the reality of the Zionist tyranny being waged against the Palestinian people. Al Quds Day also reminds us of the Zionist effort to destroy Muslim Holy places after they occupied Al Quds the arson attack on Al Aqsa Mosque symbolising this criminal intent.
But Al Quds Day also shows the centrality of Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause for the Muslim Ummah. It was this that brought the Muslim World together to create the Organisation of the Islamic Conference at the first OIC Summit in Rabat on 25[SUP]th[/SUP] Sept 1969.
Along with the denial of the right of self determination to the Kashmiri people despite UN Security Council Resolutions, the Palestinians continue to be deprived of their right to a Palestinian state despite UN resolutions. Not only that, they continue to being subjected to forceful seizure of their land and property by the Zionist entity Israel with its policy of illegal occupation of Palestinian land and creeping annexation through illegal Settlements which have been condemned by the international community in no uncertain terms.
PTI supports the Pakistani position of a Palestinian state with Al Quds as its capital and calls upon the US to stop aiding and abetting in the Zionist killings of innocent Palestinians as well as the deprivation of access to the basics of life for the people of Gaza. Unless there is a just resolution of the Palestinian issue, the fallout will continue to be violence and militancy and billions of dollars will be effectively wasted on an aimless so-called war on terror with thousands of innocent lives lost. Israel is guilty of state terrorism and the international community must take note of this form of terrorism if it seeks to fight the menace of terrorism across the globe.
Following the path charted by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Pakistan has a long history of supporting freedom struggles by Muslims. Even when the state was in its infancy, it stood in the forefront of the struggle for independence being waged by the Tunisians and Algerians. Tunisian leader Bourguiba travelled on a Pakistani passport as did Algerian leader Farhat Abbas and our embassy in Paris provided all manner of assistance and support to these freedom struggles. In the 1973 Arab-Israeli War two Pakistani pilots flew Syrian fighter planes and downed Israeli aircraft. Pakistan has been a steady if modest annual contributor to the Al Quds Fund through the OIC, to support protection of Muslim Holy sites and raise a peaceful voice against the atrocities and human rights violations of Zionism.
That is why my party PTI totally condemns any effort by a Pakistani leader to hold backdoor negotiations with officials and leaders of Israel while the latter continues with its illegal and increasing occupation of Palestinian lands and with its policy of violence against the Palestinian people. Whatever decision is taken with regard to Israel should be taken through the OIC collectivity. After all the OIC came together because of the Muslim Ummahs commitment to the Palestinian cause across the globe. Again Pakistan was in the forefront of this movement with the remarkable OIC summit of Lahore in 1974. To betray this trust of the Pakistani people through backdoor deal making as a result of unholy compromises and pressure from the US, is simply not acceptable.
We will never allow the Palestinian and Kashmiri causes based on the right of self determination to be betrayed by corrupt rulers working for foreign interests. That is why I stand here today to commemorate Al Quds Day, and commend Iran for taking this initiative, which reminds us all of the promises and the Ummahs unfulfilled commitments to Muslim people suffering under occupation and tyranny. Unless we make good on these commitments we will never truly liberate all our people from the yoke of tyranny and imperialism in all its forms.
