Senator Mushahid: Support for Palestine is linked with the genesis of Pakistan

Islamabad (QNN)- Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed stated that Pakistan could not recognize Israel unless a two-state solution could be implemented.

“Despite pressure from certain countries, Pakistan did not accept Israel and that Pakistan’s support for the Palestinian cause was not dependent on the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) or the Arab League,” Mushahid said.

“Pakistan’s support for Palestine is a testament of Muslim solidarity. As a nation, we have a history of supporting anti-imperialist movements whether it was in Algeria, Eritrea or Palestine.”

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed was speaking as a special guest and speaker for the Turkey-based Parliamentarians for Al Quds in a webinar entitled: “WHY PAKISTAN WON’T RECOGNISE ISRAEL?” and discussed why Pakistan would not normalize ties with ‘Israel’.

Mushahid explained how the issues of Kashmir and Palestine were “inextricably intertwined” since both were issues of unfilled resolutions and forced demographic changes which converted a minority into majority.

Linking Pakistan’s stance on Palestine with the genesis of Pakistan, Mushahid cited three reasons why Pakistan couldn’t recognize ‘Israel’.

“The first reason is the legacy of Jinnah. Support for Palestine is linked with the genesis of Pakistan. This is not about any quid pro quo but a principled stance.”

“We also strongly believe in the right to self determination for the Palestinian people which is enshrined in the United Nations charter.”

Mushahid also called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Modi “the ideological cousins, with the same fascist mindset which embodies an Islamophobic worldview.”

When asked whether Pakistan would be better able to lobby for the Palestinian cause using official diplomatic channels if relations were established, Mushahid answered, “That would be theoretically the case if Israel was open to reason, to discuss the demands, and what are the demands? That UN resolutions are implemented and Palestinian people be given the right of self-determination under a two-state solution.”

He continued, “Today that view has been rejected. Today they are not only occupying the territory, since they had occupied since 1947, but they are annexing that. They have annexed Jerusalem, they annexed Golan Heights and Gaza is an occupied territory.”

Senator Mushahid Hussain stressed that accepting ‘Israel’ would mean surrendering and accepting Israel’s occupation.

Mushahid remarks came following Israeli media reports that Pakistan will discuss the normalization of relations and that an adviser to the prime minister had visited ‘Israel’ at the end of November.

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