News

UoK holds discussion on Contemporary Situation in Palestine

UoK discussion on Palestine

A round table discussion on the “Contemporary Situation in Occupied Areas of Palestine” was organized by the Department of International Relations of the University of Karachi (UoK) in collaboration with distinguished Palestinian delegates and Dr Sabir Abu Maryam, Secretary-General of Palestine Foundation Pakistan (PLF).

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

The Session was chaired by the Chairperson IR Department Dr Naeem Ahmed and the guest speakers included a delegation of two people from Palestine, Yousef Abbas and Dr Adeeb YasirJi from Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, and Dr Sabir Abu Maryam from Palestine Foundation.

The keynote speakers were the UoK Dean Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor Dr Shaista Tabassum, and the department’s former chairperson Dr Talat Wizarat, other participants included faculty members, researchers, and students from various institutes including Karachi University, NUML University and NED University.

Dr Naeem Ahmed welcomed the Palestinian guests and participants of the seminar and elaborated on the benefits of people to people relations between Pakistan and Palestine. He also mentioned that the Palestinians are fighting a war for their right to self-determination.

In the keynote address, Professor Dr Shaista Tabasum raised the question that it is important to distinguish that it is important to decide whether the problem of Palestine is the problem of the land war or is it a war of religion and jihad.

She also put forward important questions regarding the current status of the Palestinian Independence struggle and its future and also mentioned the similarity between Palestine and Kashmir issues.

Dr Talat A Wizarat noted the significance of humanitarian and rights-based aspects of the Palestinian issue and expressed fear of biological warfare being conducted by Israelis against the Palestinians.

The Palestinian delegation noted their arrival to Pakistan and the University of Karachi as an honor and expressed their affection for Pakistan in Palestine, especially with reference to Iqbal and Jinnah, and the geopolitical importance of the country in the Muslim world.

They emphasized the significance of the Palestinian issue as a humanitarian and Muslim Issue related to all humans and Muslim Ummah across the globe. They highlighted the current situation in Palestine and explained the increasing magnitude of Israeli oppression against Palestinians and said that the people in Palestine are being tortured like people from no other place in the world.

They explained that the Palestinians are being continuously expelled from their homes and Muslim women are being kidnapped, raped, and killed. They rejected the ‘Two-State Solution’ for Palestine and declared it contradictory to the basic and universal principles of justice.

They also informed that the morale of young Palestinians and mothers of martyrs has not been affected by the Israeli oppression and genocide, and rather continues to increase. They also noted the similarities between the Palestinian and Kashmir issues.

They articulated the responsibility which lies upon people in the rest of the world to speak against the Israeli atrocities, and especially upon the Muslim countries to contribute politically to the resolution of this issue.

They emphasized that the responsibility of Pakistan’s people is to make their country stable and powerful first for ultimately supporting the cause of Palestine at the international level. They elaborated that the people to people communication among the Muslim Ummah is of central importance for the resolution of the Palestinian issue.

They also expressed their willingness for future collaboratory efforts with the people of Pakistan such as in the form of an international conference on the Palestine issue.

Meanwhile, Dr Sabir Abu Maryam addressed the students and encouraged them to speak for Palestinian Cause. He questioned the ambiguities which are being created in Pakistan regarding the country’s support for the Palestinian cause as an organized effort aimed at Pakistan’s gradual building of relations and eventual recognition of Israel.

Citing the example of walls being built by Israel on the Jordanian border and expensive Israeli trade for Egypt, he elaborated that no Arab country has ever benefitted in the long run after recognizing the Zionist state of Israel.

Inputs from various participants were also taken and a question and answer session was conducted at the session’s end. By bringing together experts, scholars, and thought leaders, the round table attempted to foster an in-depth understanding of the multifaceted aspects of the Palestinian issue and identified potential avenues for constructive dialogue and a viable solution.

Related: UoK, Meezan collaborate to enhance Islamic banking education

UMT 2025