Nearly 60,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan in two weeks— UN agency

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced on Tuesday he would attend an upcoming conference on Gaza being hosted this month by Turkiye and would present his country’s stance on Israel’s military aggression. 

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus has invited his counterparts from Palestine, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, among other nations, to an Apr. 18 meeting of the pro-Palestine Parliamentary Speakers Group in Istanbul.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Sadiq said he had been invited by the Turkish parliament speaker to attend the conference. 

“So, god willing, I will go there [to the conference] and say the hard truth about Gaza,” he said. “I will present Pakistan’s stance.”

Sadiq said Pakistan is raising the issue of Gaza with foreign delegations that arrive in the country similar to the way it raises the issue of the disputed Kashmir territory. 

“It is very disappointing to see videos from there [Gaza] on what is happening there, the way people are being subjected to injustice,” he said. “It feels painful that maybe Islamic countries were not able to play our role the way we could have played it.”

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in January that lasted eight weeks before Israel resumed the war last month. 

The initial ceasefire agreement was meant to bring the sides toward negotiating an end to the war, something Israel has resisted doing because it wants to defeat Hamas first.

Since the ceasefire fell apart last month, Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza and its forces have also seized swaths of the coastal enclave in a bid to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal more aligned with Israel’s terms.

Hundreds have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed. 

Pakistan’s parliament on Monday passed a unanimous resolution condemning Israel’s “heinous” wave of hostilities in the Palestinian territory, demanding an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.

ISLAMABAD: Uzbekistan Airways is set to launch direct flights between Tashkent and Islamabad starting May 24 in a “significant step toward enhancing bilateral connectivity,” state-run APP news agency reported on Tuesday.
The new route is expected to bolster people-to-people exchanges, trade and tourism between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, APP said, quoting the Uzbek Embassy in Islamabad. The airline already operates bi-weekly flights between Tashkent and Lahore on Wednesdays and Fridays.
“In the initial phase, the airline will operate weekly flights every Saturday,” the state news agency said. 
“Discussions are currently ongoing with Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority to finalize the necessary logistical and regulatory arrangements. Subject to demand and operational considerations, the frequency of flights is expected to increase over time.”
In addition to the Tashkent-Islamabad route, Uzbekistan Airways is also exploring plans to introduce direct flights to Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and economic hub, in the near future.
“The expansion of Uzbekistan Airways’ flight network is anticipated to offer greater convenience for travelers, while simultaneously contributing to increased tourism and stronger economic and cultural exchanges between Uzbekistan and Pakistan,” the APP report said.