ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday renewed its 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 as its capital.” “We have seen the announcement of a Peace Plan for the Middle East by the United States,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in a statement. She said Pakistan has consistently supported a twostate solution as enshrined in the relevant Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions. “Pakistan continues to support a just and lasting solution of the Palestinian issue, through dialogue and negotiations, that leads to the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, including the right of selfdetermination,” the spokesperson added. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday proposed creating a Palestinian state as part of a Middle East peace plan, which triggered Palestinian condemnation forimposing strict conditions and agreeing to let Israel maintain control of long-contested West Bank settlements. It includes what Trump called a four-year freeze by Israel on new settlement activity. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, mocked what Trump has called the “deal of the century,” describing it as the “slap of the century.” Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying on Wednesday called for a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue. “China has taken note of the relevant reports and is studying the relevant content,” she said in a statement while commenting on new Middle East peace plan announced by the US President Donald Trump. The spokesperson said that China had always believed that relevant UN resolutions and international consensus such as the “two-state solution” and the “land for peace” principle constitute the basis for resolving the Palestinian issue and should be respected. “Any solution to the question of Palestine should listen to the views and propositions of the main parties, especially the Palestinian side,” she added. She said that an agreement should be reached through equal dialogue and negotiation, which should help promote the early, comprehensive, just and a lasting settlement of the Palestinian question. It may be mentioned that President Trump unveiled his plan for Middle East peace, proposing a Palestinian state, but also allowing Israel to take control of a significant portion of the West Bank without any Palestinian input. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had rejected the proposal.
