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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reiterated that durable peace in Palestine could only be achieved through negotiations and efforts to impose a military solution in the region are bound to fail.

In a message issued on the occasion of International Day of Solidarity with the people of Palestine observed on Saturday, a spokesman of the Foreign Office said that government and the people of Pakistan reiterate that durable peace can only be achieved through negotiations.

The spokesman said that Pakistan firmly believed that lasting peace could only be established by implementing UNSC resolutions 242 and 338 which called for respecting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people including their right of return and establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Sharif as its capital.

Cycle of Violence

The Foreign Office spokesman said even today, on the occasion of International Day of Solidarity with the people of Palestine, the region is still trapped in a vicious cycle of violence and the prospects of peace are becoming dimmer and dimmer.

The Road Map which raised many hopes among Israelis and Palestinians lies in shambles, the spokesman added and said that two-state solution envisaged by international community 56 years ago seems a distant dream and peace in the region remains elusive.

The spokesman said that Israel's policies and actions in the region are rendering the peace process meaningless. The construction of the so-called security fence, air strikes on Syrian territory and threats of expelling President Arafat have further aggravated the situation, the spokesman added.

The spokesman said Pakistan unequivocally denounced these measures and co-sponsored resolutions in the UN calling upon Israel to desist from taking actions that impede the peace process with grim implications. "Pakistan is deeply dismayed and shares concern of the international community over these unfortunate developments. While we have repeatedly underscored the need for restraint on both sides, and without minimal conditions of security and freedom for Palestinians, it is impossible to achieve any progress towards peace" the spokesman said.

Justice Must

The Foreign Office spokesman said the Palestinians are entitled to justice without which there can be no lasting peace.

Pakistan has supported all international efforts aimed at the resolution of this lingering conflict including Crown Prince Abdullah's peace initiative, UNSC Resolution 1397 and Qurtet's roadmap which affirm the vision of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel within secure and recognized borders, the spokesman added.

He said Pakistan also supported resolutions 1402, 1403, 1405, and 1435, which, interalia, called upon Israel to withdraw troops from all Palestinian cities and the implementation of a meaningful ceasefire.