ISLAMABAD: The special representative to the prime minister on religious harmony Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Wednesday said that unless the issue of Palestine was resolved, recognising Israel by Pakistan was simply out of question.
Speaking at a presser here, the top cleric said that Pakistan’s stance on Palestine and Kashmir was crystal clear due to which any compromise on those two issues was simply next to impossible.
He said that Pakistan shared a bond of love with its Palestine brethren, adding, given that special bond of love and brotherhood, this should be clear to Israel that it must stop building castles in the air of being recognised unless they resolved the issue of Palestine.
Ashrafi said that as far as a prime minister like Imran Khan was there, it was not only difficult rather impossible that Israel could be recognised, adding, PM Khan could sacrifice his premiership, but he would not recognise Israel.
“Those building castles in the air must know that a prime minister like Imran Khan can not compromise on two things: the issue of Palestine and Kashmir. The Arab countries especially Saudi Arabia stand with Pakistan concerning these issues,” he added.
He categorically said that Pakistan should not appear weak for no reason as our stance on issues of Kashmir and Palestine is there for the last over 70 years, and we will remain committed to our standpoint till their resolution.
About religious harmony in the country, the cleric said that the government was setting up an inter-faith council to solve all related problems at the grassroots level, adding no one had the right to impose coercive decisions on non-Muslims in this country.
He also talked about blasphemy incidents in the country, and said the number of these cases has gone down by 90 percent in recent years due to concerted efforts of the government – a claim which seems quit hollow as blasphemy cases in the country are on the rise.
He said that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was going to attend a meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), where he would demand that blasphemy be made an international crime.
“There should be legislation in the United Nations to honour all the prophets and divine books,” he maintained.
Among other topics, Tahir Ashrafi also shed light on the surging coronavirus cases in the country, saying that the government’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be strictly followed in all religious congregations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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