Pakistani, Iranian presidents stress Islamic states' coordinated efforts to end 'massacre' in Gaza

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI (AA) – Pakistan's President Arif Alvi and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday underscored the need for coordinated efforts by the Islamic countries to put an end to the ongoing "massacre and crimes against humanity" in Gaza.

In a phone conversation with Raisi, Alvi discussed the situation in Gaza and expressed regret that, despite the deaths of over 19,000 Palestinians, including women and children, the UN Security Council has failed to impose a cease-fire and put an end to the "unspeakable Israeli atrocities," according to a statement from the President's Office.

The president expressed deep concern about the "dire situation in occupied Palestine, including Gaza," and said a "just" solution to the Palestinian question based on an independent and contiguous Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is critical for lasting peace in the Middle East.

The president expressed gratitude for Iran's leadership's support for the Palestinian cause and its principled stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, as well as for Tehran's support for Islamabad's "all diplomatic initiatives to this end," according to the statement.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral economic cooperation.