ISLAMABAD, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Pakistan on Friday welcomed the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and termed it a first positive step toward complete Israeli pullout from the occupied Palestinian territories.

    "Pakistan welcomes the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as a positive first step," a Foreign Office spokesman said.

    The spokesman expressed the hope that it would lead to complet evacation of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967,paving the way for the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state living in peace side by side with Israel.

    Pakistan, he said, has consistently supported all initiatives and developments that could contribute to a just settlement of thelong festering Palestinian problem and durable peace in the Middle East.

    The spokesman stressed the international community must continue to work for the realization of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people that demand the establishment of their independent state in Palestine with Al- Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital.

    Israeli evacuating forces began implementing the pullout in allthe 21 Gaza settlements and four in the West Bank on Monday. By Thursday, 16 settlements in the Gaza Strip and two in the West Bank had been evacuated. Enditem