In response to the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced August 2 as a national day of mourning. The decision came during a high-level meeting in Islamabad focusing on the situation in Palestine.
Sharif labeled the killing a “barbaric act” that breached international laws. He noted widespread condemnation from several countries, including Turkey, Russia, Iran, China, and Malaysia.
The Prime Minister highlighted the ongoing conflict in Palestine, stating that over 40,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children, have lost their lives in the past nine months. He criticized the international community’s silence on what he termed “terrorism and extremism.”
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Sharif accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to destroy Palestine and ignoring verdicts from the International Court of Justice and United Nations resolutions. He expressed gratitude to Western nations like Ireland and Spain for supporting the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution.
The meeting, attended by representatives from various political parties, resulted in several decisions:
- Pakistan will continue providing relief materials and medical assistance to Palestinians, including treating injured individuals in Pakistan.
- Palestinian medical students will be offered admission to Pakistani medical colleges on humanitarian grounds.
- Funeral prayers for Haniyeh will be held across Pakistan after Friday prayers.
- A special resolution expressing solidarity with Palestine will be presented in Parliament.
The attendees urged the international community to abandon neutrality and take a clear stance against what they described as ongoing genocide and state brutality in Palestine. They warned that failure to act could undermine the relevance of international laws and institutions.
The meeting concluded with a call for the global community and the United Nations to break their silence, stop the violence against Palestinians, and hold Israel accountable for alleged war crimes and oppression.