ISLAMABAD: Palestine desires to enhance existing bilateral ties with Pakistan in multi-sectors and take them to the optimum level for the benefit of the people of both countries, a diplomat said.
“We are working on an extensive plan to enhance trade, tourism, cultural and educational exchanges for optimum bilateral relationships between brotherly countries,” Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan Ahmed Rabei said in an exclusive interview with APP.
Ambassador Rabei said that the Palestinian government is working out traders and chamber of commerce level collaboration with Pakistan, whereas a separate economic desk has been established at the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan.
Palestine, he said, has huge religious and heritage tourism potential with over 22,000 heritage sites registered in the Unesco. Moreover, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first Qibla (point of direction to offer prayer) as the Muslims go to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to perform Hajj should also visit their first Qibla.
Almost four million Christians visited Bethlehem and Nasra for religious tourism, whereas only half a million Muslims visited Al-Aqsa Mosque, he said.
“Palestine is the conduit of Asia, Europe and Africa, which historically has imprints of various nations interactions, culture and traditions due to their invasions on their land,” the ambassador said., adding the Palestinians possessed a culturally diverse background and are flexible and easily adaptable to intricate and challenging environments.
The entire Middle East and surrounding region’s first-ever airport was established in Palestine, whereas the region’s first radio station was also established here, which was headed by a Palestinian woman that indicated the level of women liberty and empowerment back in the early 20 Century era before British and Zionist occupation.
“Most of the early educationists in KSA and Kuwait were Palestinians that were highly educated and intellectually rich people in the entire region. We had the first school of the region in Palestine in 1921,” he said.
Ambassador Rabei said: “We have the Palestinian diaspora spread over 110 countries of the world, whereas four presidents of the South and Latin American states are Palestinians by origin.”
He said the president of Uruguay has resisted the Israeli move to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“There are some one million Palestinians residing in Europe with a half million in Americas, whereas we have a great diaspora in Brazil, owning millions of dollars resources and assets in that country,” he said.
The Chinese government had certified two Palestinians as the only professional coffee grower and olive farmer in China that again testified Palestinian skill in agriculture.
“There are almost 321 parliamentarians globally who are Palestinians and two of them are in the US Congress, including a woman. Moreover, four ministers in the European Parliament are also Palestinians,” he said.
Under occupation of Zionist Israel, Palestine has exported goods worth $8 billion and imported some $14 billion goods and it was testament to the Palestinian rich economic potential that could benefit its brotherly and friendly countries.
“We are not isolating ourselves from the world rather connecting through culture and trade,” he said, adding that Palestine is part of 500 global organisations, including Interpol, UN agencies and other international bodies.
When asked about Pakistan’s bilateral cooperation and support, the ambassador said over tens of thousands of Palestinian students were graduated from Pakistan, including most of the ministers in every government of Palestine had graduated from Pakistan.
Interestingly, he said, more than 22 serving ambassadors of Palestine graduated from Pakistan.
He thanked the government of Pakistan and the national leadership for their unwavering support to the Palestine cause.
The ambassador said President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s speeches and support for Palestine was unprecedented and especially the Prime Minister Khan’s speech at the UN General Assembly was highly commendable.
“All political parties and Parliamentarian chiefs, including senators came to the Embassy of Palestine to express solidarity with the Palestinians that gave us enormous support and confidence that we do not consider ourselves alone in our just fight for freedom from the Zionist Israel’s occupation,” he said.
“After reading Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s views and Pakistani government’s response, including the Senate of Pakistan’s declaration to mark May 22, as the Palestine Solidarity Day made us feel that Palestinians are not alone,” he added.
On a query pertaining to defence cooperation by Pakistan, he said, over thousands of soldiers had graduated from the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul along with hundreds of fighter pilots graduated and trained in Pakistan.
Ambassador Rabel appreciated Pakistan’s unflinching stance on Palestine cause and assistance to the oppressed Palestinian brethren facing Zionist Israeli occupation and oppression.
