Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar announced on Thursday that Pakistan has decided to prohibit all New Year celebrations as a gesture of solidarity with the suffering Palestinians in the wake of the alarming situation in Palestine.
In a televised address, the prime minister urged the public to express support for the oppressed Palestinians by observing simplicity at the start of the New Year. He emphasized the profound sadness felt by the entire Pakistani nation and the Ummah over the tragic events, including the loss of innocent lives, especially children, in Gaza and the West Bank.
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Prime Minister Kakar highlighted the grim toll of more than 21,000 innocent Palestinian lives lost since October 7, 2023, due to the brutality of Israeli forces, including around 9,000 innocent children. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to raising its voice for the oppressed Palestinians on the global stage and continuing to do so in the future.
The prime minister informed that Pakistan has sent two relief consignments to aid Palestinians, with a third on its way. Additionally, the government is in close coordination with Egypt and Jordan to provide timely relief, evacuate the injured from Gaza, and ensure their medical treatment.
He concluded with a prayer for the new year, hoping for a dawn marked by peace, prosperity, and harmony for Pakistan and the rest of the world. The Gaza health ministry reported a toll of 21,110 killed and 55,243 wounded, with nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents displaced from their homes.
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The situation has resulted from Israel’s response to an October 7 attack by Hamas, involving relentless bombardment, a siege, and a subsequent ground invasion. The siege has led to severe shortages of water, food, fuel, and medicine for Gaza’s 2.4 million people, with approximately 1.9 million displaced, according to the UN.