LAHORE: The Milli Yakjehti Council Pakistan has expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, welcomed the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan-Turkiye defence agreement and called for expanding it to include Iran and Egypt to strengthen unity among Muslim countries.
In a joint declaration issued after a meeting of its executive council, chaired by President Dr Sahibzada Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair and hosted by Minhaj-ul-Quran, the council urged Pakistan, Turkiye and Iran to use diplomatic channels to ease tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
The declaration, issued by Secretary General Liaqat Baloch, described the protection of the Haramain Sharifain as a religious duty of all Muslims. It said an external attack on Saudi Arabia or the holy sites was unacceptable and welcomed statements by Yemen’s Ansar al-Islam denying attacks on the holy sites.
The council also called on China, Turkiye and Qatar to resume diplomatic efforts to normalise relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It urged the Afghan government to dismantle militant networks operating from its territory and take concrete steps to improve bilateral ties, stressing that regional peace required cooperation among Pakistan, Iran, China and Afghanistan.
The meeting expressed concern over political instability, terrorism, economic hardship and growing social challenges in Pakistan. It said national unity and stability could be achieved through the supremacy of the Constitution and Islamic principles, while criticising unconstitutional amendments and laws contrary to the Quran and Sunnah.
On Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the council opposed the use of governor’s rule and emergency powers, warning that political disputes between federal and provincial authorities had aggravated the situation.
It called for a renewed National Action Plan against terrorism, implemented impartially through national consensus, and expressed concern over unrest in Balochistan, KP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
On the economy, the council urged the government to abolish the petroleum levy, end the burden of independent power producers (IPPs) and implement the Federal Shariat Court’s decision on eliminating interest-based banking. It blamed inflation and rising production costs on high energy prices, taxation, corruption and excessive official expenditure.
The declaration reaffirmed support for the Palestinian and Kashmiri peoples’ right to self-determination, condemned US support for Israel and called for an end to the war imposed on Iran. It urged all parties to honour the Islamabad agreement and said unity among Muslim countries was essential to counter external aggression.
The council also supported a resolution seeking protection of the shrine of Hazrat Shah Muhammad Ghaus in Lahore and urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to prevent any action threatening the shrine. It called on the provincial Auqaf Department to treat all Muslim sects equally.
The meeting decided to convene the council’s leadership summit in November 2026 and hold provincial council meetings in KP and Balochistan to promote solidarity and restore peace. It also pledged to promote the responsible use of digital media and artificial intelligence and counter sectarianism and takfirism.
Senior leaders attending the meeting included Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, Allama Shabbir Hassan Mithmi, Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Ropuri and other representatives of member organisations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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