Pakistan forms committee to identify, boycott businesses supporting Israel

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan on Saturday formed a committee to identify companies to boycott for supporting Israel in its offensive on Gaza.

"A committee has also been constituted to identify such companies and products in Pakistan that may be directly or indirectly abetting Israel or forces, committing war crimes against Palestinians," said Rana Sanaullah, adviser on political affairs to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The move came after a deal between the government and a far-right political party called Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

TLP held a rally and sit-in in the city of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad, which ended late on Friday after the agreement was announced.

The accord demands authorities provide further humanitarian assistance for Palestinians and ban all products of companies supporting Israel.

'Netanyahu responsible for atrocities'

Islamabad also urged the world to designate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a terrorist and said Pakistan already considers him as such.

"Netanyahu is responsible for atrocities committed by Israeli forces in Palestine, and we consider him a terrorist and demand the world community declare Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu a terrorist," says the agreement.

Alongside TLP representatives, Sanaullah told reporters in Islamabad that Israel is a terrorist country and Netanyahu has committed war crimes.

"Pakistan will use every possible means to help Palestinians and condemn Israel as a terrorist country," Sanaullah said.

He added that the TLP and government also agreed to accelerate efforts to provide 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, including food, medicine, and other items.

Sanaullah called on the world, and especially the global Muslim community, to hold Netanyahu accountable and bring him to justice.

The official said Islamabad was also ready to bring the injured Palestinians to Pakistan in the case of the Palestinian Authority making any such arrangements for their treatment.

"Our schools and hospitals are open for providing education and medical facilities to the innocent Palestinians," he said.

Earlier this month, Pakistan also announced it would provide scholarships to Palestinian medical students from Gaza to continue their education in the South Asian country.

The Foreign Ministry said Palestinian students from Gaza would soon enroll in medical colleges in Pakistan in batches of 20-30.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

More than 38,900 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 89,600 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.