ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Israel’s recent air strikes in Lebanon, calling on global powers to intervene and put an end to the Jewish state’s war in Gaza that has killed over 41,000 people.
The Pakistani premier’s condemnation came hours after Israel’s airstrikes in Lebanon killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut suburb. The bombardment triggered condemnation worldwide and alarmed several countries as fears of a wider war in the Middle East continue to loom.
Israel’s airstrikes in Lebanon killed 33 people on Saturday, the country’s health ministry said in a statement.
Sharif told reporters at a press conference in London, where he had arrived after attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, that he had presented Pakistan’s stance at the summit on key global issues, including the Palestine crisis.
“I made a humble effort to carry the voice of the people of Pakistan in front of the world, about the injustice and barbarity in Palestine,” Sharif said.
“Over 40,000 Palestinians have been martyred, thousands of children have been martyred. In the same way, we have also strongly condemned the attacks in Lebanon.”
The Pakistani prime minister said he had demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at the 79th UNGA session, calling on the “global conscience” to awaken.
Speaking on the country’s economic situation, Sharif said Pakistan is now moving toward stability and progress, adding that the same has been acknowledged by international institutions.
The premier expressed his satisfaction over the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval of a $7 billion loan for Pakistan this week.
He said the country’s inflation rate stood at 9.6 percent currently compared to 32 percent in September last year, noting that the rates of daily commodities were showing stability as well.
“Everything is not hunky-dory,” he cautioned. “We have to sweat hard and broaden the tax net without burdening those already paying it.”
