Shah Mahmood Qureshi Exclusive Interview on Anadolu Agency with Dilara Hamit

Pakistan's Foreign Minister says his country is banking on the UN General Assembly to play its role to evolve a consensus that leads to a cease-fire, de-escalation and an end to atrocities in Palestine.

Regarding the US' veto power on the Security Council, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency said that public opinion, should veto the veto power and if public opinion changes, governments that exercise veto power, are compelled to revisit policies and are compelled to rethink.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met his Pakistani counterpart in Ankara on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Palestine amid continual Israeli bombardment.

Qureshi will be attending an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on the issue of the latest Israeli assaults on Palestine on May 20. The president of the UN General Assembly said Tuesday that he is ready to convene a meeting to discuss the situation in East Jerusalem if requested by any member.

Mr. Qureshi thank you for having us. You are expected to attend the emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly on the issue of the latest Israeli assaults on Palestine. Who will be attending the meeting and what are your expectations from the outcome of this session?

Qureshi: But I cannot tell you who all will be there. But I think the interest is building up and I am learning that some foreign ministers won't be there physically, some will be there virtually, but it's going to be a hybrid kind of a meeting, but I expect quite a few foreign ministers will show up and they ought to, you know, look at the situation in Gaza today. Look at the situation in the West Bank. Look at the atrocities. Look at the assault against the Qibla Awwal, Al-Aqsa Mosque, children, women, you know, look at the helplessness on their faces, you know, the way they're being mistreated. Deprived of basic amenities, they're bombing hospitals, they are bombing, infrastructure, electricity suppliers, are being disconnected water suppliers are being disconnected food supplies are being hampered. So it's a real humanitarian crisis in the making and I think the world must speak up. I think media has an important role to play to jolt people out of their sort of slumber and to see what's happening on the ground. Social media and the active citizen journalist, he and she, they are playing their role. It's people like the independent international media that has to tell the world what reality is. So my idea is to go and share that truth of the world to reflect the sentiments of the people of Pakistan. I will be carrying the unanimous resolution of the National Assembly, it was unanimously passed yesterday. And I shared it with the Turkish foreign minister today and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that reflects the sentiment of the people of Pakistan. So I hope it's a successful meeting. Unfortunately, the Security Council could not reach a consensus. Unfortunately, the joint statement could not come out because it was vetoed. So we're banking on the General Assembly to play its role to evolve a consensus that leads to a cease-fire, de-escalation and an end to atrocities.