Pakistan PM condemns Israel’s ‘catastrophic’ airstrikes on Lebanon, urges immediate ceasefire

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Israel’s attack on Lebanon while interacting with the media on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly Session on Wednesday, calling the recent airstrike “catastrophic” and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
After nearly a year of war against the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Stripe on its southern border, Israel is shifting its focus to the northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israeli cities in support of Hamas.
Israel’s offensive since Monday morning has killed 569 people, including 50 children, and wounded 1,835 in Lebanon, Health Minister Firass Abiad told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV.
“The recent attack launched in Beirut is nothing but a ploy to expand this war theater, which will be catastrophic for this peace-loving world,” the prime minister told the media. “And I think we must all condemn this act on the part of Israelis.”
“Two-state solution is the only answer,” he continued. “Immediate ceasefire, immediate ceasefire, and then two-state solution. There is no other option.”
The Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander on September 24 as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides increased fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East and Lebanon said only Washington could help end the fighting.
Israel said Qubaisi headed the group’s missile and rocket force.
Pakistan’s foreign office also described Israel’s attack as an “act of aggression” against Lebanon that violated the UN Charter and international law.
The UN Security Council is expected to meet later today to discuss the conflict.
BILATERAL MEETING
The prime minister also met with Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, ranging from political, economic and defense cooperation to people-people exchanges.
Last year, Pakistan signed 10 multibillion-dollar agreements with Kuwait aimed at boosting cooperation in sectors such as trade, energy, information technology, labor and infrastructure development.
As part of the government’s broader engagement with the Middle East, these agreements included Pakistan’s request for greater recruitment of its workers in Kuwait, particularly in health, security and construction fields.

“The Prime Minister of Pakistan expressed his desire to engage with Kuwait in mutually beneficial economic investments under the rubric of Special Investment Facilitation Council,” his office in Islamabad said in a statement issued after their meeting, referring to a hybrid civil-military body to facilitate foreign businesses.
Both leaders affirmed to closely collaborate bilaterally, as well as on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
With input from Reuters