Arshad Mehmood – Islamabad Alert
The Palestinian president Mehmood Abbas has ordered for the immediate withdrawal of its ambassador from Islamabad. The PA made this decision on tough reaction and protest by Indian government. Ambassador to Pakistan, Walid Abu Ali participated the rally which was held on 29th Dec 2017, in the presence of Hafiz Muhammed Saeed.It was held against the Trump s decision about recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. In a statement issued in Ramallah on Saturday night, the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Ambassador’s decision to participate in the rally with Hafiz Saeed was an “unintended mistake, but not justified. On Saturday, India had conveyed its strong protest on the matter to Ambassador Al Haija, who met with Indian Secretary, Economic Relations, Vijay Gokhale at the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi. Ministry of External Affairs India Official Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar said that Government of India has strongly conveyed to the Palestinian side that the Palestinian ambassador in Pakistan’s association with Hafiz Saeed, is unacceptable. Hafiz Muhammed Saeed is prescribed by the United Nation, in 2012.
Without quoting Hafiz Saeed or any other s name, The PA foreign ministry press release stated that ministry considered that participation of our ambassador in Pakistan, in a mass rally in the presence of such individuals who support terrorism, is an unintended mistake, but not justified.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the chief of Jama’at-ud-Da’wah had sanctions placed against it as a terrorist organization by the United Nations. . In April 2012, the United States announced a bounty of $10 million on Saeed, for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 164 civilians JUD, including 6 American citizens, but there have been protests in Pakistan against the US bounty. On the other hand , Pakistan has always denied these allegations.
India considers him as one of its most wanted terrorists because of his ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba and his alleged involvement in attacks in India such as the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, 2006 Mumbai train bombings and 2001 Indian Parliament attack. Since 2008, various Indian politicians have demanded that Saeed be handed over but there is no extradition treaty between India and Pakistan.
This rally was organized by Difa e Pakistan Council,(Defence of Pakistan Council DPC). DPC, Defence of Pakistan Council, is a coalition of more than 40 Pakistani Political and Religious parties.Maulana Sami Ul Haq heads DPC. Some banned groups are also part of DPC.Sami ul Haq is a prominent cleric and politician. During Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, he was known as Father of Taliban, as he had close ties with Taliban leader Mullah Umer. Hundreds of thousands of his student took to participate in that war.Later on after 9/11, Haqqani s associates formed a splinter group ,well knows as Haqqani group.
This DPC a in November 2011 in response to the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers who were killed by American planes along the Afghan border. Pakistan closed NATO supply routes to Afghanistan after the strikes but reopened the routes in July 2012 when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologized.
Asif Khurshid , Jamat tul dawa spoke person for northern zone told this scribe that the rally was not staged by JUD , it was combined protest of DPC.So we have no concerned with the ambassador s withdrawl. Ambassador Waleed was invited by DPC.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dr. Faisal said on Saturday that Pakistan has always supported the two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian State,” the statement said. “Pakistan’s unequivocal position was demonstrated in the rejection of the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In response to media queries regarding the participation of the Palestinian Ambassador Walid Abu Ali in a mass rally, He said that number of public rallies and meetings have been held in Pakistan, and the Palestinian envoy has participated in many of these meetings.The spokesperson also said that This rally was attended by thousands of people from all walks of life. More than 50 speakers addressed the rally, including Hafiz Saeed.He also said that he said, UN proscription does not place any restrictions on the freedom of expression.
It is a very interesting matter that India has much better relationships with the USA, but on the other hand, he is fully supporting Palestinian side. He also voted against the US in UNO last days.
