ISLAMABAD: In commemoration of the International Day of Peace, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in their separate messages, stressed that global peace can be achieved by promoting a culture of "tolerance" and resolving disputes through dialogue.
The president emphasised the importance of unified action to cultivate a "culture of peace, tolerance, and respect for the dignity of all individuals," while PM Shehbaz urged the promotion of "peace and stability" in the region through the resolution of long-standing disputes via meaningful engagements.
"Together, we can shape a peaceful future and a better world where our successive generations could live in peace and harmony", the president said in a message.
These remarks come at a time when the world is witnessing some of the most deadly conflicts and their escalations, especially in the Middle East region and the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Zardari stressed that the theme of this year's International Day of Peace — 'Cultivating a Culture of Peace' — "calls upon us to promote a culture of peace, tolerance, and coexistence among the comity of the nations."
He expressed regret over Israel's "reign of terror in Palestine" and its "genocide" which has killed over 41,000 Palestinians. He emphasised that such geopolitical tensions and conflicts in certain regions are threatening world peace.
His remarks came after around 14 were killed in an Israeli air strike on Lebanon's capital Beirut. This followed days after 37 people were killed in the country in an "unprecedented" attack in which pagers and walkie-talkies blew up, injuring over 3,000 people.
However, he also noted that "together, we can shape a peaceful future and a better world where our successive generations could live in peace and harmony."
Similarly, Zardari stressed that the Hindutva-inspired Modi regime was committing grave human rights violations in IIOJK and was persecuting Muslims and other minorities in India and depriving them of their fundamental rights.
He said these blatant violations of international law and human rights endangered global peace and security.
“We need to raise our voices against injustice and oppression. The priority of the world should be to address the problems being faced by humanity, including poverty, hunger, injustice, oppression, inequality, and the violation of basic human rights rather than disputes and conflicts,” he added.
Additionally, the president added that the world could not achieve progress and development in the absence of peace as wars and conflicts increase the problems and miseries of people.
In his message on the International Day of Peace, PM Shehbaz emphasised Pakistan's goal of achieving peace in the IIOJK and highlighted the plight of the innocent people of Palestine.
He said that the foundation for any lasting resolution in the region hinged solely on one critical factor — achieving a fair and just settlement of the IIOJK dispute peacefully through an impartial plebiscite and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
"As we contemplate the significance of peace, we must not overlook the plight of the innocent people of Palestine, who are courageously facing state aggression," the PM said.
He added that for lasting peace in the Middle East, peaceful resolution of the dispute according to the United Nations resolutions and aspirations of the Palestinians was need of the hour.
He said on the International Day of Peace, the government and the people of Pakistan joined the global community to reflect on the shared values of tolerance, compassion, and cooperation for a peaceful world, free of war and conflict.
"On this World Peace Day, we recognise the importance of fostering dialogue and understanding among diverse communities for a peaceful and sustainable world," he remarked.
He said in a world often marked by conflict and division, it was essential to bridge the differences and work towards the common goal of peace.
The PM said Pakistan recognised the critical importance of promoting a more peaceful and inclusive world for everyone and was ready to work with the global community.
"It is only by working together now that we can build a peaceful tomorrow for our future generations."
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