Pakistan has reiterated its unwavering support for Palestine and called for urgent global action to address the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The call was made by Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq who was leading Pakistan's parliamentary delegation at the inaugural meeting of the Group of Parliaments in Support of Palestine held in Ankara, Turkiye.

The Speaker emphasized Pakistan's long-standing position in favour of a sovereign, viable, and independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

He drew a parallel to Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and drew the world's attention to the plight of vulnerable and innocent Kashmiris braving the Indian aggression. 

Meanwhile, a gathering of Parliaments was convened in Istanbul at the invitation of Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Numan Kurtulmuş for furthering the cause of collective commitment and to express solidarity with Palestine.

The meeting brought together parliamentarians from across the world to strengthen collective efforts in advocating for the rights of the Palestinian people, the two-state solution, and an immediate end to the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

The discussions centered on increasing international recognition of the State of Palestine, condemning illegal settlements in Gaza and East Jerusalem, protecting Palestinian cultural and religious heritage, upholding international law and humanitarian principles, and promoting a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

On the sidelines of the gathering, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq held significant bilateral meetings with the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Numan Kurtulmus, Speaker of the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saqr Ghobash and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Parliament of Malaysia, Johari bin Abdul.

They pledged to deepen bilateral ties as well as parliamentary cooperation.

The counterparts also resolved to maintain synchronized efforts in supporting the Palestinian and Kashmiri peoples' legitimate struggles for self-determination at all international platforms.

It was also acknowledged that the formation of the Group of Parliaments in Support of Palestine marks a major step in mobilizing legislative bodies worldwide to take concrete action.

In his meeting with President of the Palestinian National Council Rawhi Fattouh, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq underscored Pakistan's tangible efforts to support Gaza, including establishment of the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for Gaza and Lebanon, a unanimous parliamentary resolution denouncing Israeli atrocities, vigorous advocacy at international fora.

They agreed to deepen parliamentary engagement and work together for post-conflict reconstruction and global advocacy.