Pakistan and 18 other Islamic countries have strongly condemned the inauguration of the Colombia embassy in Jerusalem, saying the move contravenes relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The joint statement was issued by Pakistan's Foreign Office on Friday, 16 October, and it rejects the step outright. It also calls on the Colombian government to reverse its decision.
The statement was issued in the names of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Palestine, Türkiye, Djibouti, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Qatar, Jordan, Somalia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria, Oman, Syria and Sudan. One report describes the group as 18 Islamic countries, while the list names 19 states including Pakistan, so the count depends on whether Pakistan is counted separately. The ministers said the move undermines international efforts to reach a just and lasting peace based on a two-State solution.
What the ministers said about Jerusalem
The ministers reaffirmed that any measure intended to change the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem, or to recognise it as Israel's capital, is “null and void” and has no legal effect. They said Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967. They urged the Colombian government to uphold its obligations under international law and to refrain from steps that harm the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The ministers also reaffirmed support for the Palestinian people's right to an independent and sovereign state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Their statement frames the Colombia embassy decision as a departure from that position rather than a separate bilateral matter.
Resolutions behind the statement
The statement relies on UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478, both adopted in 1980. According to the ministers, those resolutions reject attempts to change Jerusalem's character or status and call on states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city. The statement also cites UN General Assembly resolutions on the same question.
The sources do not say when Colombia's embassy was inaugurated, and they do not report a response from the Colombian government. Until Colombia comments, the joint statement is the only official position available in the reporting.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan aur 18 dosray Islami mulkon ne Colombia ke Yerushalam mein sifarat khanay ki mazammat ki hai. Unka kehna hai ke yeh qadam UN Security Council ki qararadon ke khilaf hai aur Yerushalam ki qanooni haisiyat ko nahi badal sakta. Joint bayan mein Colombia se yeh faisla wapas lene ka mutalba kiya gaya hai. Aam Pakistani ke liye iska seedha asar abhi wazeh nahi hai, lekin yeh Falastin ke haqooq par Pakistan ki position ko zahir karta hai.
