Israel, India employing ‘deliberate strategy’ to silence voices against oppression: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said it was the deliberate strategy of Israel and India to silence the voices of those who narrated the stories of oppression faced by the people of Palestine and the Occupied Kashmir.

The prime minister expressed these views in reaction to the killing of Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead during a raid of Israeli forces in the West Bank.

“Strongly condemn the assassination of respected Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at the hands of Israeli forces,” he wrote in a tweet.

PM Sharif said, “Silencing the voices of those who tell stories of oppressed people is part of a deliberate strategy employed by Israel and India in Palestine and the Occupied Kashmir”.

Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh was killed by Israeli troops Wednesday as she covered a raid on Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the network and Palestinian witnesses said as quoted by news agency.

Al Jazeera said its journalist had been shot dead “deliberately” and “in cold blood” by Israeli troops.

Abu Aqleh, 51, a Palestinian Christian, was a prominent figure in the channel’s Arabic news service.

The Israeli army confirmed it had conducted an operation in Jenin refugee camp early Wednesday, but denied it had deliberately targeted a reporter.

A statement from Al Jazeera said: “In a blatant murder, violating international laws and norms, the Israeli occupation forces assassinated in cold blood Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Palestine.” Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed all concerned authorities to take all possible steps to provide maximum relief to the farmers and people of Pakistan.

He was presiding over a high-level meeting in Islamabad to tackle the issue of wheat and urea smuggling.

The Prime Minister said that prevention of hoarding to ensure availability of urea and wheat in the country, building integrated supply and demand system in the market and strict border control management are essential to curb smuggling.

He further said that no negligence would be tolerated in this regard.

He directed the concerned agencies to ensure availability of urea and DAP in the market at stable and cheap rates, so that the country could become self-sufficient in wheat production. He directed to constitute a task force to curb the hoarding and smuggling of urea and wheat in the country.

The Prime Minister was briefed that the availability of strategic stock of urea of two hundred thousand tones at the beginning of each month is essential to keep the market prices stable.