ISLAMABAD, 31 July 2006 — Pakistan strongly denounced the Israeli attack yesterday on the southern Lebanese town of Qana, as thousands of Muslims protesting the killing of more than 50 civilians torched Israeli and US flags. “Pakistani government and people strongly condemn this sad incident, which is clearly unwarranted aggression,” Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters after a telephone call to his Lebanese counterpart, Fouad Siniora.
He also appealed to the world community to come forward and help find “an immediate and peaceful settlement” of the conflict. Aziz said he assured Siniora of “Pakistan’s full support to the people of Lebanon in this critical hour.” The Israeli airstrike on Qana yesterday killed 51 people, including 25 children, the deadliest strike since Israel launched its offensive against Lebanon on July 12. The raid triggered protest rallies in Pakistan. Despite heavy rain, around 3,000 people at a rally in the port city of Karachi condemned the attack and vowed to support the Lebanese people.
Different political parties and religious groupings staged rallies across the country to condemn Israeli atrocities. Flags of US and Israel were torched besides effigies of US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Aziz called for an immediate cease-fire, saying that yesterday’s airstrike on a building housing civilians was “clearly an unwarranted aggression.” “We also appeal to the world community to come forward and help find an immediate and peaceful settlement to the conflict,” he added.
Pakistan has sent huge quantities of essential food items and medicine to Lebanon by road through Syria. Anisa Asma, Pakistan’s ambassador to Lebanon, told Arab News telephone that “we have received many truckloads of essential food items and medicine which the government of Pakistan sent through relief flights to Syria and from Syria these items have reached Beirut.”
—Additional input from agencies
