Pakistan calls for Palestine with Jerusalem its capital

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan on Wednesday reiterated its call for an independent Palestine state, with Jerusalem as its capital.

Pakistan’s call came in the wake of U.S. President Donald’s formal announcement of his long-awaited Israel-Palestine plan.

“We renew our call for the establishment of a viable, independent and contiguous state of Palestine, on the basis of internationally agreed parameters, the pre-1967 borders, and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital”, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Pakistan continues to support a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue through dialogue and negotiations which leads to the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, including the right of self-determination,” the statement added.

Islamabad said it consistently supported a two-state solution, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions.

Trump unveiled its so-called “Deal of the Century” at the White House on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

His plan has overwhelmingly eschewed the international consensus on the conflict, denying Palestinian refugees their right to return and enormously shrinking their borders within the West Bank while legitimizing Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law.

Trump’s plan unilaterally annuls previous UN resolutions on the Israel-Palestine dispute and recognizes illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Among the details of Trump's plan, Jerusalem will remain Israel's "undivided capital,” a call which has prompted a fierce rebuke in the Muslim world.

Trump’s proposal also requires the "firm rejection of terrorism" from Palestinians and includes the recognition of a "contiguous" Palestinian state that would "double the Palestinian territory" over time once certain conditions are met. Israel would be granted sovereignty over the whole of the Jordan Valley in the eastern swath of the occupied West Bank.

Trump released via Twitter a copy of his "conceptual map" for a two-state solution that included a greatly reduced Palestinian territory in the West Bank, which also included 15 "Israeli Enclave Communities" linked by Israeli access roads that cut through the envisioned Palestinian territory. That would recognize Israeli sovereignty over existing settlements, which are illegal under international law.